Ligue 1 - Euro Bites - July 26

ONE YEAR LATER, ANGEL DI MARIA SET TO JOIN PSG

Having already signed German goalkeeper Kevin Trapp from Eintracht Frankfurt and French defensive midfielder Benjamin Stambouli from Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain now look set to land Angel Di Maria after a lengthy pursuit. The French champions have been after the Argentina international since he made it clear that he wanted to leave Real Madrid last summer, but UEFA’s financial fair play (FFP) rules put paid to that and pushed him towards Manchester United instead. With FFP no longer the obstacle it once was, French reports claim a deal has been struck and El Fideo’s arrival in Paris is imminent.

ALL CHANGE AT MONACO

Following a third placed finish in Ligue 1 and qualification for a second consecutive season of UEFA Champions League football after a slow start under Leonardo Jardim, AS Monaco have been Le Championnat’s busiest club this summer. Les Monegasques have moved on a plethora of players, including France international Geoffrey Kondogbia and talented Belgian Yannick Ferreira Carrasco. However, they have welcomed no fewer than eight new faces to Stade Louis II, among those Stephan El Shaarawy from AC Milan and Olympique Lyonnais’ gifted young Frenchman Fares Bahlouli. The principality outfit are rapidly becoming France’s answer to Portuguese transfer kings FC Porto.

LYON’S TALENTED YOUNGSTERS STAYING PUT

A young and vibrant Lyon side pushed PSG close in last season’s Ligue 1 title race before ultimately falling away in the final weeks of the campaign. Hubert Fournier’s young guns are keen to prove last term was not a one-off though and many of Les Gones’ starlets have signed contract extensions at Stade Gerland. Anthony Lopes, Samuel Umtiti, Jordan Ferri and two of last season’s breakout stars in Corentin Tolisso and Nabil Fekir have penned new deals, while coach Fournier has also committed himself until 2017. The challenge for Lyon between now and the end of the transfer window is to keep star man Alexandre Lacazette.

BIELSA REBUILDING MARSEILLE

This summer has been a dramatic one for Olympique de Marseille. After Marcelo Bielsa’s men threw away their midway Ligue 1 lead for an eventual fourth placed finish and failed to qualify for the Champions League last season, the worst was yet to come at Stade Velodrome. Les Phoceens have been stripped of four key players, including France internationals Dimitri Payet and Andre-Pierre Gignac, not to mention other valuable squad members as the southern giants embarked upon a major cost-cutting exercise. Although significantly depleted, Bielsa is rebuilding and El Loco is starting to form a squad in his own image, despite the significant budgetary restrictions.

LIGUE 1’S FEEDER STATUS UNDERLINED BY ANOTHER BUSY SUMMER

For years now, Ligue 1 has been a source of brilliant value for money signings for Europe’s top sides and this summer has been no exception, with a number of top French-raised talents making moves abroad. Geoffrey Kondogbia left Monaco for big money to sign for Italians Internazionale, Portuguese giants FC Porto capitalised on Marseille’s financial strife to snare Giannelli Imbula, Aston Villa have lured OGC Nice’s Jordan Amavi and Lille OSC’s Idrissa Gueye to England, while Spaniards Sevilla picked up another bargain in Girondins de Bordeaux’s Mariano Ferreira. With the Pound dwarfing the Euro at present, the time is right for British sides to shop in France.

GUILLAUME’S MOVE FROM LENS TO RIVALS LILLE SPARKS UGLY SCENES

Baptiste Guillaume left recently relegated Ligue 2 side RC Lens for fierce rivals Lille this summer and the move has resulted in his former teammate, Benjamin Bourigeaud, requiring surgery on a hand injury. The pair were out in nearby Arras shortly after Guillaume’s move to Stade Pierre-Mauroy was made official and were confronted by fans of Les Sang et Or who were angered by the 20-year-old’s decision. Bourigeaud was injured trying to protect his close friend and suffered a fracture to his hand that will now require an operation.