Within a few hours, PSG almost crossed paths with Milan Skriniar in Saudi Arabia.
On Thursday evening, the capital club faced Cristiano Ronaldo in a lucrative and spectacular friendly match, while the day before Inter Milan won the Italian Super Cup on the same lawn at the Roi-Fahd stadium in Riyadh.
Beyond the wink, the Parisian leaders have undoubtedly learned good news for the coming months during this trip: as the Italian press indicated on Friday, the 27-year-old Slovak defender refused the final offers of contract of the interist club.
Direct consequence: it is therefore free to engage with Paris or any other club for next season.
A point valid since January 1 since it is the rule established by FIFA when a contract is concluded six months later.
Has Milan Skriniar already signed up with PSG?
The answer is no.
Will he?
Optimism is in order for Luis Campos and Christophe Galtier, who ardently coveted him last summer in order to strengthen a wobbly sector.
Captain Marquinhos sows doubts, veteran Sergio Ramos plays but does not convince and 2018 world champion Presnel Kimpembe has been suffering from Achilles tendon for weeks.
It's a fact: the Parisian defense is not very good less than a month from the return of the Champions League.
Already an agreement?
A wedding with Paris next year is also the wish of the Slovak.
According to actors in a file taken in hand by Luis Campos, confidence is immense on the PSG side, where we are still aware that as long as nothing is signed, all options remain possible for the player.
According to L'Équipe this Friday, Skriniar gave his verbal agreement in Paris.
According to our information, nothing would block his arrival in July.
On the other hand, an arrival this winter seems unlikely.
It would mean a transfer and, therefore, a sum of money to be paid for PSG.
An operation not envisaged by a club in search of savings and which does not have the latitude to afford a player for more than 10 or 15 million euros this winter.
If Inter agrees to sell, Paris will not pay more than this envelope.
A loan with option to buy?
Impossible if the defender does not extend his contract.
The most likely scenario on January 20 therefore directs us to signing Skriniar in Paris at the end of the season.
Unless Inter Milan finds new arguments by then.
In any case, the two clubs have another chance to meet in the coming weeks.
They will have to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League by beating Bayern Munich (for PSG) and FC Porto (for Inter) and closely observe the draw for the rest of the competition.
