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There’s been some recent speculation about Luis Diaz being a target for Paris Saint-Germain and my understanding is that the Liverpool forward is definitely a player that PSG are looking at as part of a wider shortlist of potential players to bring in this summer.
Once they have the freedom to move without Kylian Mbappe being on their books any longer, then they will lower their wage bill and we’ll see how they move to replace Mbappe in attack. My understanding for now is that it’s not necessarily the case that Diaz is a priority target, but it’s more that they’re preparing for the possibility of looking at a player like him – he’s not the only player of that position or profile that they’re considering, but one of many they’re looking at.
You could perhaps argue, being a Liverpool player, that Diaz is one of the higher profile names on PSG’s list, but if I’m honest I wouldn’t be so sure that that position will be a top priority for PSG this summer. I think they’ll look at other positions, most notably central defence and also defensive midfield.
So names like Leny Yoro and Bruno Guimaraes are probably names to look out for that will be higher up on PSG’s list, but, for sure, as part of that there could also be Diaz as one of the names on a wider list for this summer.
On Yoro, there’s been some recent speculation that Yoro favours Real Madrid over PSG as his next club, but that’s not necessarily my understanding. What is absolutely certain, though, is that both clubs are competing for his signature.
I think PSG feel they have a strong case to him that his development will be best served by staying in France for a bit longer, giving him more top-level experience, as well as European experience. This could be the best step for Yoro before potentially making a leap to a club like Real Madrid later.
There have been some parallels drawn between Yoro and Raphael Varane. Obviously Varane came from Lens and made the jump to Real Madrid early, becoming a key player there for the best part of a decade or more. That also appeals to Yoro in terms of what might be the best move for him going forward.
Still, developmentally, I think PSG have a stronger case now than they did a year or 18 months ago. Also you have the growing French element to the PSG squad, and Yoro is another who hails from the Parisian region. I don’t think Real Madrid necessarily have an edge over PSG yet, and obviously while the Kylian Mbappe situation drags on, their priority will be to get his signature over the line.
It’s absolutely certain that PSG and Real Madrid are competing for Yoro’s signature, though, and it’s also expected that Real Madrid will move for more players than just Mbappe this summer, even if he is understandably their main priority.
It’s not cut and dry yet, so let’s see what happens, but of course at the end of the day the most important factor is likely to be who puts the most persuasive offer in front of Lille. That’s a battle still being fought and there’s yet to be a winner on that front.
Bradley Locko is having a very good season at Brest and there’s been some talk of Chelsea being interested in the 21-year-old left-back. Brest in general have been one of the surprise packages of Ligue 1, they’re having an incredible campaign and hopefully they can maintain that momentum until the end of the season.
Locko has undoubtedly been one of the team’s more impressive performers and it’s not surprising to see links with the likes of Chelsea and other big clubs, but I think it would be a very big jump for him to make the step up from Brest to a team like Chelsea right now.
The other thing to bear in mind is that Locko, despite having a fantastic season in the Brest defence, doesn’t really have the kind of European experience that you’d expect of somebody who goes and joins a club of the size of Chelsea. Obviously there’s no certainty that Chelsea will be playing in Europe next season, but at the same time that’s what the Blues aspire to do every season, and the big question mark at the moment is – is there a club better placed for Locko, so he can make that jump and then later move on to a top European side.
The potential is definitely there, but we’ll have to see if a move materialises this summer. It’s also worth pointing out that if Brest get European football next season then Locko can gain that experience there, but there might be an argument that it’s a good time for Brest to sell this summer so they can bring in some money and strengthen in multiple positions ahead of the challenge of playing in Europe, then they can be handsomely rewarded for the fantastic work they’ve done with him this season.
It’s been expected for a long time that Anthony Martial will leave Manchester United on a free transfer this summer. His career appears to be at a bit of a crossroads at the moment, but obviously the expectation is that, having come through the ranks at Lyon, he could come back and potentially rebuild his career with one of the European clubs in Ligue 1.
It would be interesting to see if Lyon test the water, given the amount of players formed at the club that they’ve previously managed to bring back and who’ve then enjoyed a second lease of life with the club, such as Alexandre Lacazette.
At the same time, though, Martial did burst onto the scene with Monaco, who acquired him for quite cheap from Lyon because of their financial situation at the time. I expect Martial will have no shortage of suitors, but his personal demands based on what he’s been earning at Manchester United might put him out of reach for some clubs who might enquire, but at the same time I do think a club in Ligue 1, involved in European competition, could be a good rebound spot for him to start afresh and potentially get back to somewhere close to the level he’s been at in the past.
He’s always been a fine talent, he just needs to find some consistency, and then who knows, perhaps it could even mean getting himself back into contention for a place in the French national side, which, at this moment in time, is extremely far away.
