Pépé made 79 appearances for Lille, scoring 37 goals and registering 18 assists before joining Arsenal in an €80m move back in 2019. His move to the Gunners never worked out, despite making over 100 appearances for the Premier League side. A loan move to OGC Nice in 2022 failed to resurrect his career before he ultimately joined Turkish side Trabzonspor on a free transfer in September 2023. 

However, having only signed a one-year deal, the Ivory Coast international was once again available on the market this summer. Speaking to Free Foot, Pépé has revealed that he almost made a shock return to LOSC.

“I had a chance to return to Lille. It tempted me. I thought about it because my family live in Lille and so it is something that crossed my mind,” said Pépé. Since moving to Villarreal, he has enjoyed a return to form, netting once and registering an assist in his first eight matches in La Liga. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Millot joined VfB Stuttgart for a meagre fee of under €2m from formative club Monaco back in 2021. He has since gone on to make 79 appearances for the Bundesliga side, and this season, he already has five goals to his name in just nine games. That form could see him rewarded with his first France cap next month. 

Within that context, Millot’s reported release clause is a relative bargain. As reported by Sky Germany, he has a release clause, valid this summer, worth between €18-20m. His current deal with the German club runs until 2028, and whilst a key player, that low release clause is likely to garner some considerable interest.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Despite significant recruitment in the midfield sector, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ismael Koné also arriving over the summer, sporting director Mehdi Benatia seemingly isn’t opposed to adding further in this area of the pitch. As reported by La Provence, OM also have an interest in another Juventus midfielder, Paul Pogba. He is expected to terminate his contract with the Serie A club upon his return to football, having seen his ban reduced from four years to 18 months. 

However, it is another Juventus midfielder now being linked with a move to the Vélodrome – Arthur Melo (28). His agent, Federico Pastorello, in quotes relayed by Fabrizio Romano, revealed that Marseille were interested in the Brazilian midfielder, who is yet to feature at all for Juventus this season.

“We need to find a solution. He’s never playing and it’s a pity. We spoke to Olympique de Marseille. He could be interesting for Roberto De Zerbi with his quality skills. It’s not an easy one due to extra-UE players rule, but we will see,” said Pastorello. Melo is therefore the latest player added to OM’s list of potential targets.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Corriere dello Sport understands that the Serie A side are looking to bring in a new forward, perhaps as early as January. One player targeted is Lille OSC’s Jonathan David. The Canada international has begun the season well with LOSC, however, there are doubts about his future. Whilst talks about a contract extension have reportedly taken place, there is currently no agreement to extend the current deal, which expires at the end of the campaign. 

David is perhaps, therefore, a more realistic option if Juventus did into the market in the summer, however, if they were to do so in January, Stade Rennais’ Arnaud Kalimuendo would perhaps be a more likely option, as per Tuttosport. Thiago Motta is a fan of the France youth international and was already tracking him with a view to a move over the summer. 

Kalimuendo had been expected to leave Rennes in the summer before ultimately remaining in Brittany, but Juventus are now showing significant interest with talks underway between the player’s entourage and between the two clubs. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

In an interview with Téléfoot, the Frenchman was asked whether he would ever be willing to return to the French capital and play for his former club. Nkunku now plays his football in West London for Chelsea after signing for the Premier League club for a fee of €60m from the Red Bull club in 2023. 

The Chelsea attacking midfielder has struggled for fitness since he arrived at Stamford Bridge. Limited to just 14 appearances last season due to the injury, the France international has not been able to make the desired impact. However, the PSG academy graduate is not focused on anything but the Premier League club. 

Asked about a potential return to Les Parisiens, the attacking midfielder laughed off the question, replying, “PSG remains a big club, but there has not been one approach.”

GFFN | Liam Wraith

After being handed an initial 4-year ban for doping, Pogba has seen his ban reduced to 18 months meaning he can return to training in January. The 31-year-old could make a return to playing in March. However, his current club do not see a future for the former Manchester United midfielder at the Allianz Riviera and are looking to terminate his contract, according to Fabrizio Romano. 

Marseille are not the only club to show an initial interest in Pogba. The Juventus midfielder has also attracted interest from clubs in the MLS. American clubs are monitoring the Frenchman’s contract situation and could make a move should be made a free agent.  

GFFN | Liam Wraith

Carboní struggled in pre-season with a muscular injury, which saw him miss the start of the season. In his absence, Amine Harit impressed. Limited to just one start, against SCO Angers in Marseille’s last match before the international break, he then joined up with the Argentina squad, where he suffered the season-ending injury. 

His loan to Les Phocéens included an option to make the deal permanent for a fee of around €40m. However, in the wake of the injury, Inter Milan and Marseille are now in talks regarding a loan termination, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. Carboni could therefore return to the Serie A side this winter in order to continue his recovery. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

In late September, L’Équipe reported that talks to extend the Poland international’s current deal, which is set to expire at the end of next season, had met a dead-end. With little chance of talks re-starting, Bulka reportedly had his sights set on a departure from Le Gym at the end of the current campaign. 

However, as reported by Nice-Matin, in the wake of a draw against RC Lens, those talks were re-ignited and there is renewed optimism of a deal being reached. The latest offer from Le Gym’s hierarchy is much closer to the demands of the Poland international. 

However, Bulka has yet to put pen to paper, and the while, big clubs are circling. Speaking in an interview on Polish television, transcribed by Foot Mercato, the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper revealed interest from Barcelona, initially reported by Catalan media Sport. 

“Barcelona? As they say, in every rumour there is a bit of truth […] I am here to perform well every week and give arguments for clubs like that to speak about me. It really is a compliment. When someone speaks about these clubs, it is extra motivation for me and a sign that I am doing things well,” said Bulka. 

Whilst Bulka insisted that he was “focused” on Nice, as he has done repeatedly, he did not close the door to a summer departure. “I have my dreams and my objectives. I want to play in the Champions League, I want to play for the national team in the biggest competitions and be one of the best goalkeepers in the world. I don’t have a dream club where I would like to play,” he said. 

He added that he wants to help Les Aiglons qualify for the UEFA Champions League and reminded that he was under contract at the club until 2026, however, he said “We will see what will happen” when questioned on a move at the end of the current campaign.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Škriniar moved to PSG on a free transfer back in the summer of 2023, however, his move to the Parc des Princes was scheduled before the appointment of Luis Enrique as manager. Whilst the Spaniard did utilise the centre-back, reports suggested that Škriniar was not a player that he relied on. This season, he has made just one start in Ligue 1, accumulating just 111 minutes of playing time. 

Whilst the Slovakia international ultimately remained with Les Parisiens this summer, as he wished, despite interest from Saudi Arabia, he has now revealed his discontent with his current situation. “It is what it is, and I’m definitely not happy about it,” said Škriniar, who is currently away on international duty.

Romano now reports that the centre-back already has concrete chances of leaving PSG in January. Many clubs are keen, including Juventus. However, the Serie A side would only make an approach if a loan deal was on the cards. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

OM ended the 2023-24 Ligue 1 campaign in eighth, their worst finish to a top-flight season since they wound up in 13th in 2015-16. According to club president Pablo Longoria, though, there was another side to the story last season, which caused him to make wholesale changes.

“It would be populism to only point the finger at the players, but the dynamics of this group, this dressing room, had to be completely changed. I wanted players with a common ambition, over time, with the desire to build,’ Longoria told L’Équipe in an exclusive interview.

There were 14 players who left the Vélodrome at the end of last season, including Jonathan Clauss (32) and Jordan Vérétout (31).

Roberto De Zerbi, meanwhile, was hired to be the new manager after the club had four different coaches during the previous campaign. Longoria says there was an atmosphere in the locker room last season that was not healthy, leading him to start bringing in new faces.

 The 38-year-old executive believes for a club to be successful, there has to be “a very clear framework with very clear rules.”

One of the team’s outgoing players this past summer, Pape Gueye (25), spoke out against what he believed were the club’s methods of pushing players towards the exit.

“The club leaders who get the false news out in the press by soiling the image of a player they want to see leave (in addition to forcing, I think people know everything is wrong),” Gueye said on Instagram.

The Senegalese international signed a four-year contract with Villareal on a free transfer from Les Olympiens in July. Longoria admitted to making some mistakes as president of this club, namely setting too many short-term goals.

He was tempted to leave the club but says the confidence that principal owner Frank McCourt showed in him, plus his hopes of building something lasting, played a part in his staying.

With De Zerbi in charge, Longoria believes they have a modern-thinking, innovative coach capable of building a team and an identity, one that was scarcely apparent last season.

Under the Longoria presidency, the club have gone through a massive turnover of players, with at least 10 or more being transferred or loaned out during each of the last three summer transfer windows. OM are currently third in Ligue 1 and are winless in their last two domestic encounters.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre