Ligue 1 Transfers

Despite having a valuable and balanced squad, champions Paris Saint-Germain didn’t sit back and relax this summer! The Parisian team has been quite active on the transfer market, but without any “shocking transfers” at first sight. However, PSG spent €147.5 million on the acquisition of six players: Vitinha (22 years old – 41.5 million from FC Porto), Nuno Mendes (20 years old – 38 million from Sporting Lisbon), Fabián Ruiz (26 years old – 23 million from SSC Napoli), Carlos Soler (25 years old – 18 million from Valencia CF), Renato Sanches (24 years old – 15 million from Lille) and Nordi Mukiele (24 years old – 12 million from RB Leipzig). PSG also sold this summer: striker Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga (20 years old – 20 million from Stade Rennais), Thilo Kehrer (25 years old – 12 million from West Ham United), Alphonse Areola (29 years old – 9.3 million from West Ham United) and Idrissa Gueye (32 years old – 4 million from Everton), Thierno Baldé (20 years old – 3 million from Troyes).

After a season in which they were loaned from AS Roma and Arsenal London respectively, Olympique de Marseille managed to transfer 25-year-old Turkish striker Cengiz Ünder (€12 million) and Mattéo Guendouzi (€10 million). Also arriving from Roma is Jordan Veretout (29 – €11m), a player brought up by Nantes. The offensive line has also been strengthened with Luis Suárez, the 24-year-old Colombian from Granada (€10 million).
After four seasons with OM, Croatian centre-back Duje Ćaleta-Car has left for Premier League side Southampton (€10m).

Seven-time consecutive French champions (2002-2008), 8th last year in Ligue 1, Olympique Lyonnais is again going to Dutch coach Peter Sylvester Bosz, 58, this season. Lyon made no effort on the transfer market this summer. The only big name to arrive at Parc Olympique Lyonnais is left-back Nicolás Alejandro Tagliafico. The 30-year-old Argentinian was transferred from Ajax Amsterdam for €4.2 million.

Lille, the 2021 champions and 10th last year, spent €26 million on acquisitions this summer. The most expensive was central defender Mohamed Bayo, 24, brought in from Clermont Foot for €14 million. In contrast, Lille sold well this summer: Sven Botman and Amadou Onana, both to Everton for €37 million and €35 million respectively, and Renato Sanches to PSG for €15 million.

Reims also sold to Premier League, the Belgian centre-back Wout Faes going to Leicester for €17m. Part of the €10m received for Wout Faes was spent by Stade de Reims on the transfer of Japanese Junya Ito, 29, from Genk, which so far proved to be a great acquisition.