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There was a time when PSG were eyeing Estevao Willian, who is impressing with Palmeiras ahead of a much-anticipated move to Chelsea next year. PSG followed the Brazilian youngster closely, as well as other players, having signed both Lucas Beraldo and Gabriel Moscardo last winter.
Estevao, or ‘Messinho’ as he is sometimes known, was another player that PSG were looking at, and they tried to sign him. PSG tried to agree with Palmeiras, but could not reach an agreement, and therefore decided to focus on Beraldo and Moscardo.
While Estevao is a highly regarded talent, it wasn’t really a position that PSG desperately needed to strengthen at the time, which is why they focused on defense and midfield. Beraldo can play as a centre-back or left-back, so his versatility is useful for PSG, while Moscardo was also winning rave reviews as PSG needed an extra body in midfield. Obviously now PSG also have Joao Neves in this position, while Moscardo has gone out on loan to Rennes for this season.
Another key reason PSG ended up abandoning Estevao’s deal was that Luis Campos, when he was in Brazil, felt he had been rejected by Palmeiras. So instead he focused on getting the deals done for Beraldo and Moscardo, even though there was pretty significant competition for those two as well. Ultimately, PSG did not attempt to return for Estevao once the other two deals were tied up.
So, when you look at how it all went, it’s no surprise that PSG put more emphasis on the other two Brazilian players they signed, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t make a significant effort to sign Estevao, as they arrived on the scene when they were negotiating a fairly substantial transfer fee.
PSG have looked at Joshua Kimmich in the past. They have been keeping an eye on his situation at Bayern Munich as he is nearing the end of his contract, and I understand that his versatility is something that appeals to PSG – he obviously has quality in a central midfield position, but also as a player Improvised right side of very high quality.
So PSG have reviewed their situation from time to time, but honestly I don’t think the situation is that attractive now. That could change if his contract runs out and the deal is too good to turn down, or if PSG receive a good offer for one of their other current central midfielders, perhaps then Kimmich could become interested again.
While I’m sure Luis Enrique could see Kimmich as a good fit for his style of play, it remains the case that PSG are pretty well stocked in that position right now, so there aren’t as strong arguments for opting for the German international at the moment. moment in time At right-back, that could be a separate discussion, although there is a desire to keep Achraf Hakimi at the club for now.
What I don’t see happening, though, is PSG bringing in Kimmich on the understanding that he would only be a rotation player. Kimmich himself would expect to start for most of the big games, but I find it hard to see that happening with PSG given how stacked they are in the middle of the park.
There should surely be a starter so whether it’s someone like Fabian Ruiz we’ll have to wait and see but I think Enrique is very happy with his midfield options so I don’t think PSG either do it much about it, but will continue to monitor the situation from afar.
Adrien Rabiot is now officially a Marseille player in a move that came as a huge surprise. For much of the summer it looked like Rabiot was on his way to one of the really big clubs, while Saudi clubs also tried to throw big money at him, although it didn’t work out.
So, for Rabiot to join OM, I think it’s a pretty big coup for the club and a very interesting move for the player. I don’t think there were many people who expected someone to cross the PSG-Marseille divide as quickly as it happened, so I think this has surprised some people in the industry.
There are elements that make sense for Rabiot, as this allows him to stay close to France for the 2026 World Cup cycle, but also to join a club where there is a very clear challenge, and an ambitious project underway since appointment. of Roberto de Zerbi and other outstanding signings. It’s a new start with De Zerbi, and I think it’s an exciting time to join Marseille.
As for the rivalry with PSG, one of Rabiot’s former clubs, I think this move adds some spice and creates a lot of extra intrigue around this game. It will be interesting to see the dynamic between Rabiot and the PSG fans, especially since he was a local player there and now it will be seen that he has turned his back on everything.
It’s a huge boost for Marseille, and when you look at the squad that De Zerbi has assembled, on paper, it looks full of talent and like a team that could really give PSG a run for the Ligue 1 title. It’s already looking very interesting at the top of the table, and Le Classique is also coming up in the next month or so, so I think it’s going to be an important few weeks. Rabiot did not feature at the weekend against Lyon, but it will be interesting to see what impact he can make once he gets on the pitch, and it could even be that one of his first appearances comes against PSG.
Overall, I think this could be a very interesting signing that helps add some spark to a long overdue matchup and rivalry.
It was interesting to learn that Marseille targeted Wesley Fofana this summer, with the Chelsea defender recently speaking of his approach. It’s obvious that Marseille are really looking for a player of a higher caliber than they have been able to sign in the past, and this would certainly have been a statement signing.
I rate Fofana very highly, and I think the fact that his future was in doubt was largely due to the situation at Chelsea this summer, where there was a clear plan to offload a few players and take advantage of some names that I haven’t been able to introduce them as much as they would have liked.
Obviously with Fofana, the reason is the injuries he’s had, and I think if he continues to struggle with his fitness, or if maybe he can’t get back to the form he showed before these problems, it’s always going to be there. be the possibility that a Ligue 1 club could bring him back to France. He might consider it a good option to play more regularly and get back into the conversation with the French national team.
Still, I think this is still a Chelsea settling in with a new manager in Enzo Maresca, so there will surely be time for Fofana to try to establish himself. At the start of the summer, however, there may not have been the same certainty, and so it makes sense that Marseille felt it was an avenue worth exploring. After all, we saw big names like Raheem Sterling told just before the end of the window that they weren’t in Maresca’s plans, so I understand Fofana was one of many Chelsea players talking of movements
Who knows what will happen next? Perhaps after some time working together, Fofana and Maresca will decide that they are a good match, and continue to work together long-term, or perhaps the decision is made that Fofana is not what Maresca is looking for in their squad, and that interest is review
Overall, though, I’m not surprised that OM have seen this in what has been an ambitious summer for them, and I think neutrals should be excited about what it means for French football. Maybe it’s a bit of a breakthrough, if you will, for a big name like Fofana or maybe someone else, who wants to join a French club in the near future.
