" I do not know.
Honestly I can't tell you ”.
When Thomas Tuchel was asked after the victory in Nice (0-3) if he expected reinforcement in his workforce this week, the PSG coach was evasive and a bit embarrassed.
Two weeks before the end of the transfer window, on October 5, Paris is looking for at least two recruits (a defensive midfielder in priority and an additional striker).
But what name is Leonardo going to get out of his hat?
After having flushed out Alessandro Florenzi, the Parisian sports director is working in the shadows.
So much in the shadows that nervousness begins to gain the Parisian locker room.
Thomas Tuchel, Kylian Mbappé or Presnel Kimpembe have successively asked for recruits to compensate for the departures of Thiago Silva, Edinson Cavani, Tanguy Kouassi or Thomas Meunier.
A debate exists between Leonardo and Tuchel.
The coach now indicates that PSG are looking for "a midfielder, a central defender or perhaps both", he also slips that Marquinhos and Verratti "form an extraordinary mix for a midfielder for two".
The sporting director, for his part, would remain convinced of the usefulness of taking a number 6 and keeping the captain in his training post.
Koulibaly, a very expensive track
In recent hours, the English press has once again mentioned the Neapolitan Kalidou Koulibaly (29 years old).
But this track valued at 75 million euros seems financially inaccessible for PSG even in the entourage of the player.
And this even if his wife loves the city of Paris where the Senegalese are having an apartment renovated.
Barring any surprise, the midfielder remains the heart of research.
Several French profiles were studied, without follow-up for the moment.
Tiémoué Bakayoko, returned to Chelsea, is available for a loan.
Boubakary Soumaré (Lille) is on the market, for 25 to 30 million euros.
In these two cases, Leonardo was probed without taking action.
On the Italian market, still preferential for the Brazilian, the names of the two Inter Milan midfielders Marcelo Brozovic (27) and Radja Nainggolan (32) have recently been associated with that of PSG, but the capital club have not started any concrete discussions for the Croatian and Belgian, according to an internal source from Inter.
The other big name associated with Paris in recent hours is that of Dele Alli (Tottenham).
It is rather the profile of the player (a world star in difficulty, likely to be loaned), which encourages Paris to link to the file.
The club is looking for a striker after Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's refusal to come back for a year, but several sources close to the London club deny a real approach from PSG for the 24-year-old England international.
Young people leaving?
But before these purchases or these loans, Paris first planned to give up some elements of its workforce to replenish its coffers.
Selling is therefore an objective, but selling who?
While Antero Henrique, the former sports director, designated the undesirable by taking them out of the workforce, Leonardo is not a follower of this method.
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“Bankable” players like Draxler (one year from the end of his contract), Gueye or Diallo continue to play, even more in a context where defections linked to the coronavirus, injuries or suspensions are accumulating.
The former still loves Paris as much and neither of the latter two considers himself a potential starter today.
On the other hand, the sporting director does not hide that in case of a good offer, he would not refuse to sell Leandro Paredes.
Unless he decides to give up some young players.
He has already started with Loïc Mbe Soh, whose final transfer to Nottingham Forest (English D 2) brought, according to our information, 1 million euros + bonus on resale.
Other residents of the training center, such as the promising Arnaud Kalimuendo (18), could be targeted because now time is running out.
The center forward is looking for playing time that he will not have in Paris, and targets a 1st division club.
A meeting took place between Leonardo and Francesco Totti, the new agent of Kalimuendo.
The international U 18 is valued between 8 and 10 million euros but could also be loaned.
