Integral to Fonseca’s midfield along with André Gomes, who has since returned to Everton, and workhorse Benjamin André, the Englishman was asked to play even deeper with the Young Lions this summer. As a deep-lying creator, he ran miles on end, tackling and intercepting the ball in every corner of the pitch. Standing at only 168cm, not many would have imagined the Red Devils’ graduate converting into a box-to-box midfielder. While Anthony Gordon, Levi Colwill, or James Trafford took the front cover of the newspapers on the way to winning the Euros, there is no doubt that Les Dogues’ contribution was immense. He will play an integral role again this year, in a season which could see Lille push on from a very promising first season under the management of Fonseca.

Signing To Watch: Samuel Umtiti
It has been a whirlwind of a career for the Lyon academy graduate. Coming into the first team ten years ago under Rémi Garde’s management, the centre-back moved to Barcelona four days after the end of Euro 2016, where he deputized for the suspended Adil Rami from the quarter-final onwards, before losing to Portugal in a heart-breaking final. His first two seasons in Catalunya were affected by injuries, but he was undoubtedly a starter alongside Gerard Piqué. Keeping his spot in the French national team, he played an integral role at the 2018 World Cup, scoring the only goal to beat Belgium in the semi-final. After claiming the ultimate prize, it became aware that he pushed back a knee surgery in order to be fit for the competition, with supporters praising him for his ‘service to his country’.

Unfortunately, that goal was the peak of his career at the age of 24. Repeated injuries have kept him away from pitches since, and it is only a move away from the Nou Camp that enabled him to come back. He spent last season on loan at Serie A side Lecce, playing up to 25 league games for the first season since 2017/18. His performances attracted many clubs in Italy and France; while he seemed destined to rekindle his partnership with Dejan Lovren in Lyon, eventually Lille took the gamble to bring in an injury-prone but valiant centre-back to replace the departed captain José Fonte. Only 29-years-old and always in high spirits, he will be key to accompany youngsters Leny Yoro and Tiago Djaló once he returns from his ACL injury. A true test for Umtiti’s body, but his season in Italy showed good promise of a player returning to his best level.

Squad Analysis:
Finishing fifth for Lille was an achievement after a poor post-title season that saw them finish 10th and face financial difficulties. However, they bounced back tremendously under the management of Fonseca via some neat recruitment. While Mohamed Bayo was not a success in his first months, he could eventually match the levels he showed at Clermont. Rémi Cabella and Ismaily on the other hand, were resounding successes and should be instrumental to Lille’s fortunes this year.

This summer saw Lille invest, once again, in youth. Aaron Malouda, ex-Chelsea winger Florent Malouda’s son, arrived from Rennes’ academy, while ex-Lyon and Marseille goalkeeper Pascal Olmeta’s son also signed as a backup between the sticks. More interestingly, Tiago Santos arrived from Estoril as competition for the right-back spot with Timothy Weah leaving for Juventus, and Iceland international Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, has arrived to bolster the midfield. A product of FC Copenhagen’s prolific academy, the creative attacker has already shown some promise in the Champions League last season, as well as scoring fivw goals in pre-season, including a hat-trick on his debut for Les Dogues. Certainly one to watch out for.

The real question to ask, however, is where will the goals come from. Jonathan David and his 24 league goals could depart in the coming weeks if a serious offer comes in for him. While the explosive Gift Orban is still on Lille’s radar to replace him, this might not solve the inherent problem of efficiency in front of goal. Edon Zegrova and Adama Ounas also embody this problem, which the club will need to solve before the end of the window.

Strengths:
Lille’s defensive output was tremendous last season. Lucas Chevalier’s first season in the top flight was superb, earning him a start throughout the U21 Euros with France back in June. Saving a third of the penalties he faced last season, he is essential to building up from the back, while still relying on very solid reflexes on his line. Ageing captain José Fonte has departed this summer, as Samuel Umtiti brings his experience to an already well-oiled machine. With Benjamin André as impeccable cover in front, there is no doubt that the sixth best defence in the league with 44 goals conceded (not helped by the seven against PSG in August) will continue developing as one of the best in the league. It is also important to add that their attacking playing style, while it may not always be the most efficient in front of goal, is a beauty to watch. A major plus for entertainment value at least.

Weaknesses:
As mentioned before, their efficiency in front of goal has stopped one of the most exciting teams in Ligue 1 from hoping for a better place in the table. According to Understat, Lille underperformed their xG in open play by 9.4 last season, a stat which looks far better from set pieces (+1.92). Jonathan David’s goal tally is certainly impressive, being one of the top scorers in the league since his arrival three years ago, but 10 penalties need to be considered here, representing a good chunk of Lille’s 65 goals last season. While the creative output from midfield is undeniable, the irregularity of wingers and a plethora of squandered chances will undoubtedly be a glass ceiling for Lille to continue progressing and reaching the likes of Rennes, Marseille, or Lens. An unfortunate trait of Fonseca’s teams in the past, where the artful playing style takes over efficiency in front of goal and scrappy 1-0 wins. Additionally, Lille will have to improve their away form, conceding seven defeats on the road, compared to a mere two at home (to Nice and PSG).

Verdict:
Lille were one of the most exciting teams to watch last season, with a balance between great defensive solidity and attacking flair often leading to very exciting games, particularly against rivals Marseille, Rennes, or Lyon. However, while these games were certainly entertaining, they did not always bring three points to Les Dogues, and they will need to improve on this aspect if they want to stay in Europe next season, particularly with the added games in continental competition. Lille may not currently have the squad depth to compete on all fronts, but Fonseca has said lately that he hoped for four more signatures until the end of the window, to bolster his squad. That being said, the club’s history has shown that they have a European pedigree to vouch for.

While they finished 10th the last season they were in Europe (2021/22), they were a proud representative of French football, reaching the Champions League last 16, eventually losing to Chelsea while holding their heads high. An adventure deep into the Conference League could certainly be on the cards for Lille, most likely at the expense of another regular season in the league. First, they will have to pass the qualifying play-off for the group stage, later in August.

 GFFN | Tom Abadie

Of course, there are many regulars still present at the club. Captain Yunis Abdelhamid or Japanese attacker Juyo Ito, for example. However, at the heart of the team, not many players stand out as much as the Dutch midfielder, while still staying under everyone’s radar. Joining Ajax’s youth team in 2013, he left for notorious development side FC Groningen in 2019. Essential to the northern side, the fans were distraught to see the board let him go to Reims on the final day of the transfer window in the summer of 2021.

Often playing alongside Marshall Munetsi or Jens Cajuste in a double pivot, he does the work in the shadows, making him one of the most important players in Will Still’s side. He is very capable in the air, while his main strengths lie in his interceptions, his clearances as well as his progressive passes, which are for the counter attacking style used by Reims. While his resistance under pressure isn’t always optimal, he has definitely progressed with the ball at his feet. He has recently extended his contract to 2027, showing the faith the club has in him.

Signing to watch – Teddy Teuma

Typically the type of signing that makes Reims standout from the rest in France when it comes to scouting and intelligent recruitment. Captain of Union Saint-Gilloise and the Maltese national team, Teddy Teuma is one of a kind. Born in Toulon, he started his career in the fourth tier of French football with neighbouring club Hyères FC, and was picked up by US Boulogne before making a switch to Red Star FC. 18 months later, Union Saint-Gilloise came to offer him his first opportunity abroad, with the objective of returning to the top flight of Belgian Football. He was quickly made captain, and the versatile midfielder pushed his team through to promotion in 2021, leading them very close to a historic title on their return to the top flight. Progressing through the ranks, Teuma was the face of the fairy-tale story: a small stadium on the edge of Brussels, led by Birghton owner Tony Bloom and a data-led recruitment strategy. An excellent set piece taker, he never shies away from the chance to hit a long shot into the back of the net. Coming into a relatively young squad, Teuma’s experience at the highest, and lowest, level makes an excellent leader on and off the pitch, bringing energy to the dressing room. He can be expected to slot in straight into a central midfield position, he can tackle, intercept and pass with equal quality. For €5 million, with two seasons of continental cup experience, this is an shrewd transfer from Reims’ recruitment team.

Squad Analysis

Barring new arrival Ludovic Butelle in goal and captain Yunis Abdelhamid, 40 and 35 years old respectively, the rest of the squad is 30 years old and under, with many players being born after the year 2000. This squad is still incredibly young, and the departure of the experienced Andreaw Gravillion has not helped. While the scouting model is intelligent and has brought in a lot of up-and-coming talent, it was clear that in the difficult moments last season, that lack of experience shone through. Nonetheless, there is certainly excitement around the new arrivals, whether that be Teuma, but also undiscovered talent such as Reda Khadra, Oumar Diakité, Amine Salama or Joseph Okumu. Unfortunately, the latter, the most expensive signing, was injured in his first pre-season game for the club, but there is expectation for Okumu to slot right in at the heart of the defence once he returns. Ito, Cajuste and Alexis Flips are still around to bring energy and pressing to convey Will Still’s ideas onto the pitch. More signings could be incoming to bring more life to the attack, with players such as Ernest Nuamah and Adama Bojang expected by the end of the window. It’s a squad well suited to the manager’s ideas.

Strengths

Unbeaten for 19 games after Will Still became the manager, Reims were the league’s form team until the spring. Nothing seemed to stop team, with a solid defence and a constant threat on the counter, particularly lethal against top teams. Showing up in big games might havr been Reims’ biggest strength last season, managing results against PSG, Lyon and Rennes. Their attacking style is a delight to followers of the club and the league, and they will hope to score some more goals to reach their objective, a top-half finish. Defensively however, there is no doubt that they are amongst the best in the division. Understat indicated that in open play, Reims outperform their expected goals against by 10.68 points. Abdelhamid and his backline partners will certainly be crucial once again to any success this season.

Weakness

Their stamina and longevity of their high-intensity style clearly had flaws, with many goalless draws occurring around Christmas, and a downfall of results after the unbeaten streak came to an end. They were also one of the lowest-scoring teams in the Ligue 1 last year, managing only 45 goals in a 38-game season. Only five teams scored fewer, 3 of which went down to Ligue 2. According to Understat, they underperformed their expected goals by 10.56 points, showing a real problem in efficiency. Their investment in the transfer window to recreate a new strike force is certainly a way to curb that problem, but they will need to hit the ground running, in order to avoid the threat of relegation at the end of the season. Luckily, it seems that Diakité has hit the ground running, the former Red Bull Salzburg striker scoring 5 goals in pre-season.

Verdict

The real question is how Reims will do without Folarin Balogun, who is returning to Arsenal after his impressive loan spell in which he scored nearly half of the team’s goals last season. The new arrivals should help, but will this enable them to continue their upwards trajectory and reach the European places within the next three seasons, as projected by general manager Mathieu Lacour? The reality on the pitch could be different. However, here is no doubt that their scouting team has been very successful over the past few months, giving them a little more confidence compared to other clubs around them who have been very quiet in the transfer window. With most of their transfers done early, enabling them to settle in well into the team, which helped winning 4 of their 5 games in pre-season, this Reims squad seems ready for action.

GFFN | Tom Abadie

Having accomplished everything in Germany, he wanted a new challenge, to ensure that his career did not stagnate. Top scorer and domestic champion with Barcelona in his first season in Spain, the striker has settled very well in Spain. “This place has perfectly met our expectations. We use the bike a lot, we do a lot of walks and runs, as well as water sports. I train a lot at the beach,” he explains, after stating he was worried his family would struggle to adapt to the new culture. His wife has fully embraced dancing and the local music, while he’s become fluent in Spanish. “It’s a new energy. All at once, you don’t know anything anymore. You need time to adapt to the way of working and travelling here. I arrived with a lot of questions and got the answers”, he explains.

He fully assumes his new role as a leader amongst a very young squad. “With the young players, we understood each other very quickly. They didn’t speak English, so I understood very quickly that I had to improve my Spanish. Even with this, we found each other very well on the pitch, via another language, the language of football,” explains the striker. He underlines his good connection with midfielder Pedri, a player he likes because he “understands football. He sees things, it’s easy (..) we found a good feeling even with different sensibilities”.

These connections will develop over time however, talking of his first season in Munich, where he didn’t instantly make connections with Thomas Müller and the other players. “It takes time to understand each other’s movements (…) we have a huge potential at Barcelona (…) even if the first season was very good, I know we can do better, in the Champions League particularly. We need to get to the next level and I know I can be a mentor”, he says.

In order to continue his career for a long time, Lewandowski has regularly shown he has one of the best work ethics in the game. He says he was conscious of taking care of his body when he suffered his first injury at 17 years old, beginning to work hard on that side of things from the age 19 and really asking the right questions once he was 21. He started thinking about what he could do to improve his work ethic at home, helped by his wife Anna and what his dad had taught him before he started his professional career. “He was my sports’ coach and was really annoying with gymnastics for example. I wanted to only play football, but he wanted me to do gymnastics, volleyball, basketball, tennis, hockey or being on the athletics track. I didn’t understand at the time, but I do now”, he concedes.

He is constantly evolving his preparation, using his own research, science and doctors. “But nothing beats my own sense. I adapt my programs, particularly what I eat. The world is changing and I try to understand it”, he says. “I hate zones of comfort. That’s true for my personal and footballing lives. Humans have the tendency to think that evolution is a risk. But it is not just because you change things that you are less strong. On the contrary, I am always researching how to improve”, explains the Barcelona striker.

With such a work ethic, it is sometimes hard for him to see players around him not fully exploit their potential. He took time to understand that he cannot expect the same from others than what he expects from himself. When asked whether it would have been easier to play an individual sport, he says that you are reliant on your own. “I was lucky to play at Bayern and Barcelona. The biggest challenge was with Poland and to change my expectations. For a long time, I wanted the impossible (…) it is not easy being fully conscious of the context that surrounds you”, explains the Polish captain.

He is constantly seeking to see how he can improve, which to him, feels like the best way to stay at the top of his game. “It is divisive, people look at your differently but talent alone doesn’t exist anymore, so you need to be on constant alert,” he says. “It is not one day, a month or a period. No. You need to want it every say and act like it: open your eyes, your mind and your horizon”, adds Lewandowski.

The striker talks about the psychological aspect of football and how appearances can be faulted, particularly with social media. “Two Instagram pictures won’t tell the full picture and when times are hard, you need to be able to build your bubble yourself and your family”, he says. While the world around him interests him, he says that as the captain of the Polish national team, he needs to protect the players to keep a good atmosphere, even with what is happening around the team.

Coming from Poland, like Iga Swiatek, the women’s tennis world number one, can be experienced like an inferiority complex. “I didn’t like the lack of respect, the disdain. When I started, people didn’t believe in me because I was from Poland. It had been a long time since a Polish player had reached this level (…) they tried limiting my possibilities”, he says. While Swiatek and himself have changed the public image of Poland in that aspect, he hopes that many more sportspersons will reach these levels from his home nation.

To conclude, he talks about the years to come. “This could last a long time. I do not know about after this. I have many projects, but telling you which one will get me to wake up in the morning… Coach? I don’t think so. Maybe I’ll miss the dressing room so much that I will change my mind. I know that there is an end at least (..) The after, even though it will be different, doesn’t have to be worse than my first career. I am not too worried. Today, when I am not playing, I am bored. It is a good sign. I still love scoring goals and I have not explored everything in football yet”, finishes Lewandowski.

GFFN | Tom Abadie

After two seasons as a professional with his boyhood club, Lukeba wants to explore a new adventure, reaching new levels of competition and playing continental football. He had an agreement with previous president Jean-Michel Aulas that in case of a suitable offer, which suits all three parties, then Lyon would let him leave.

The last offer sent by Leipzig rises to €32 million but has been deemed insufficient by Les Gones. Reportedly, another offer could be €30 million, with €5 million in add-ons as well as the loan of midfielder Ilaix Moriba. Reports indicate that Leipzig are ready to send another offer of €35 million, with 15% of the resale fee to be sent to Lyon.

Leipzig in a position of financial strength, having sold Christopher Nkunku, Dominik Szoboszlai and recently Josip Gvardiol to Premier League sides, and for hefty sums. The Croatian joined Manchester for €90 million this week.

Last month, new executive president Santiago Cucci told L’Équipe that Lukeba and Bradley Barcola were important to the project at the club and that the board was “counting on them”. After impressing in a Lyon shirt, particularly in the second part of the 2021-2022 season, as well as with the France U21 squad Lukeba’s time with OL could, however, be up.

GFFN | Tom Abadie

Marseille have recruited Geoffrey Kondogbia (Central African Republic), Pierre-Aymeric Aubameyang (Gabon) as well as Ismaila Sarr and Ilaman Ndaiaye, both of Senegalese nationality, joining their international teammate Pape Gueye, already at the club. Meanwhile, Chancel Mbemba (Democratic Republic of Congo), Amine Harit and Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco) are also playing for Marseille. All could represent their country in winter, making up a potential 7 starters.

This may be should have been a consideration of Pablo Longoria’s as he brokered these deals. However, he explained during a recent press conference that he wanted to pass on a message to French football. “We must manage with AFCON. When making signings, we have to take it into account but this must not stop us. We cannot base our recruitment strategy on one month. With Ligue 1, we need to think about stopping the league competition during AFCON”, explained the president.

There have been many examples in the past of conflicts between clubs and the African nations. Andy Delort signed for Nice, while stating he wouldn’t play for Algeria at AFCON, which angered national team coach Djamel Belmadi. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has been particularly vocal against African players because of the midseason competition.

Medhi Benatia talked recently with Foot Mercato about how he was offered money to not play AFCON, which he refused. “Today, you would be missing 5 matches maximum. Don’t be ridiculous. The players that are penalised today, are the average players, because between two average players, you’ll pick the one that doesn’t play AFCON. Liverpool, when they had Mané and Salah, AFCON didn’t bother them. Top players aren’t disadvantaged. Missing 5 matches during a 4-year contract is what? It’s just an excuse,” he explained.

Former Senegalese international, Ricardo Faty, also explains that two Ligue 1 sides were dissuaded by his upcoming involvement in AFCON and didn’t want to sign him, so he had to leave for Turkey instead. He does however understand the situation that the clubs are in. “We are talking about a month, but even the preparation, settling down, the return flights. All that creates a shift for the players, sometimes in difficult conditions. You don’t need to be extreme like Napoli president and say you won’t ever recruit African players. But you can understand the frustration of the clubs. I know that some players, including myself, are partisans of AFCON being played in the summer,” adds Faty.

GFFN | Tom Abadie

After spending a season on loan at Juventus, which saw him start only 14 times for the Turin side, the Argentinian is back in the French capital, hoping to find an exit door. According to the Evening Standard, that exit destination might be Chelsea, where his former manager Mauricio Pochettino has taken over the head coach position.

After pursuing Moises Caicedo from Brighton for the past six months, it seems the board at Stamford Bridge are exploring other alternatives, in order to fill the defensive midfielder position alongside Enzo Fernandez.

Paredes is not the exact prototype of player that has arrived at Chelsea over the past year, not fitting the bill of young and exciting talent for the future. However, while depth is of importance here, Pochettino would also like to improve the experience of his side. His former player could bring exactly that, winning the World Cup with Fernandez back in December, on top of a very tough mentality and ruggedness in midfield.

In the case of a departure of Connor Gallagher, the midfield would be depleted and Chelsea would be keen to bring in two midfielders by the end of the window. Ajax’s Edson Alvarez, Leeds’ Tyler Adams and Everton’s Amadou Onana are all on the list for the defensive cover, while Celta Vigo’s attacking talent Gabi Veiga could also be on the radar.

GFFN | Tom Abadie

According to Fabrizio Romano and Globo in Brazil, Deivid Washington (18) could become the first Chelsea player to make a loan switch to La Meina since the club’s BlueCo takeover. Chelsea’s €20 million offer has reportedly been accepted by Santos, with the player wanting the move to go through. Romano states that Strasbourg would be getting the player on loan after securing the transfer.

Involved at the U20 World Cup with Brazil in late Spring, Washington has scored 9 goals in 29 games since turning professional two years ago.

Whilst, as stated by Strasbourg president Marc Keller, loaning players from Chelsea “isn’t part of the project,” some movement between the clubs is nonetheless expected. Washington is likely to make a move to the Ligue 1 club, should his move from Santos to Chelsea be completed. Pochettino will evaluate new signing Lesley Ugochukwu, who joined for €27m from Stade Rennais, however, there is an expectation he will also be loaned to Strasbourg. 

Angelo Gabriel, another young Brazilian who recently signed for the Blues, was expected to join Strasbourg, but having impressed in pre-season, his short-term future is now more unclear. 

GFFN | Tom Abadie

Early into the game, the Chelsea attacker limped off the pitch following a challenge by Mats Hummels. Picking up a knee injury ahead of the World Cup for which he was selected to play with France, Nkunku came back in early February for competition, only to miss out numerous games in the spring due to a muscle injury.

Unfortunately, his career has been riddled with injuries, and he was hoping this new challenge would keep him off the treatment table.

Mauricio Pochettino said he needs to be checked up by  doctors before drawing any conclusions, but he “hoped it was nothing big”. Fans have blamed the state of he pitch, which was far from ideal, in a stadium which hosted an Ed Sheeran concert only a few days ago. The Blues’ coach however didn’t want to blame the surface, which is “used for a different sport”, but it was more “bad luck”, he stated in his press conference.

Replaced by Ukrainian attacker Mykhailo Mudryk, the Frenchman will hope to be back soon in order to keep up his good form since joining the London club. Involved in several goals since the start of the tour in the United States, he has perfectly slotted in at the heart of the attack, combining well with new signing Nicolas Jackson.

GFFN | Tom Abadie

Marseille play Panathinaikos next week, with the first leg of their European Cup playoff taking place in Greece. According to L’Équipe, no supporters from the French club will be allowed to travel, given the ultras (CU84) have close links to rival club AEK Athens. A tough game therefore awaits them in the stands, meaning they’ll have to show their superiority on the pitch to beat the team who finished second in the Greek league.

To that effect, Marseille chose to play teams of different levels in order to progressively get into the rhythm. They started with a 2-0 win against Nîmes, who recently got relegated to National, before leaving for their pre-season camp in Germany. There, they first lost to Belgian side Eupen (1-0), before beating Dutch side RKC Waalwijk (1-0). To finalise their pre-season, they played their first game of the season at the Orange Vélodrome, losing 2-1 to Bayer Leverkusen.

A mixed bag for Marcelino. He managed to get new signings involved, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ismaïla Sarr, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Iliman Ndiaye all getting playing time, all four of them starting together in the final game at home. Renan Lodi coming on later into the game for his first minutes. Young English defender Emran Soglo, who signed for the academy last season, was also heavily involved during these games.

After last night’s game against Leverkusen, Marcelino told L’Équipe that the team “showed a good level” but that it was a shame to concede two goals. “We need to improve our defending of set pieces (…) I like our playing style; we gave few chances to the opponents. I am happy”, he added.

Many early conclusions can be made from these games, and not all are positive. At fault on both goals last night, Pau López has not convinced his manager, although if last season is anything to go by, it could be just a blip. He now has competition from Rubén Blanco, the 28-year-old goalkeeper who recently arrived from Celta Vigo, who is there to compete for the starting position.

Meanwhile, Kondogbia is probably the signing who has showed the most promise, settling in well in midfield alongside Jordan Veretout, intercepting the ball often and stopping the German counterattacks. He does get in the way of his goalkeeper on the opening goal by Jonathan Tah, but overall, his experience and talent have shone through, with the club hoping he can match his best performances from his time in Monaco and Atlético Madrid.

Sarr and Ndiaye were a little more hectic, running around a lot and trying out numerous things. It is pre-season, that is what the games are for, and no doubt that they will start fitting into the team over time. The ex-Watford winger occupied space on the right, with a lot of motivation to defend, while Ndiaye showed glimpses of what he was capable of with Sheffield United last season, with intricate dribbling and chance creation. So far, Aubameyang hasn’t had many opportunities to shine, with few balls coming to his feet. However, his motivation to succeed shines through.

Marcelino showed he didn’t have a doubt that the attackers’ adaptation will take time, stating they will be “better next week”. As Amine Harit and Ruslan Malinovskyi’stransfers were made permanent this summer after relatively successful loans, it will be interesting to see how they fit into this attack, the former still sidelined by an ACL injury.  

This pre-season has also been a chance for Marcelino to stamp his methods onto the team after a difficult season off the field with Igor Tudor. Setting up cameras on the side of the pitch to analyse training sessions, one of the assistants also used a drone to film from up above and bring a different perspective to the sessions in order to improve the team. While he is taking intensive French classes online, his explanations of the work to be done during the following training sessions are still translated by his assistant “Pancho” Abardonado. Particularly strict in his demands of the players, he does not hesitate to stop certain drills during training. His methods will come through over time, helped by his regular team of assistants he has had over many years.

The squad is improving, while keeping the strengths from last season. Chancel Mbemba, while being injured, could be part of the contingent of players who could depart the club beforethe end of the window. With six signings, the board seems happy with the work done in terms of incomings, but the club needs to bring in some money to balance the books after spending over €50 million this summer. A win against Panathinaikos seems essential to that effect, in order to get hold of the Champions League prize money.

GFFN | Tom Abadie

According to Foot Mercato, Toulouse academy graduate Farès Chaïbi has been in discussions with Eintracht Frankfurt for several months, and the deal seems to be edging closer to an agreement. The reports state that the player has had an agreement with the German side for several weeks.

As reports have announced that Randal Kolo Muani could be on his way out, the German side want to strengthen their attack by signing the Algerian left winger. Coming into the first team at the start of last season, he only missed two games in his first season as a professional due to an appendicitis operation back in August.

With 5 goals and 5 assists, Chaibi was an essential member of Philippe Montanier’s side last season. So much so that he had the joy of playing for the first times at international level, picking up his first cap in march against Niger.

He would be linking up with former Ligue 1 players such as Kevin Trapp and new signings Ellyes Skhiri and Éric Junior Dina Ebimbe. On the left wing, youth talent Jens Peter Haug has come back from his loan with Gent, as well as Germany U21 international Faride Alidou.

GFFN | Tom Abadie