PSG managed to win their second Trophee des Champions in a row to add to their trophy case on Thursday, but the backdrop of Kylian Mbappe’s future with the club still looms large.
Mbappe is back to sending mixed signals as we’re into the January transfer window, although the difference between before and now is that the defending Ligue 1 champions appear to be more optimistic this time.
Meanwhile, AS Monaco have made their move in this transfer window by bringing in a former PSG star to improve their Ligue 1 2024 odds of securing a Champions League spot next season.
Learn more about the latest Ligue 1 2024 updates by reading today’s SBOTOP round-up.
PSG repeat as French Champions Trophy winners
While PSG head coaches are largely judged on their Champions League performances, winning domestic trophies is the bare minimum, and Luis Enrique managed to win one.
By beating Toulouse 2-0, PSG won their 12th Trophee des Champions in franchise history, and they’re hoping to add more silverware as the season rolls on.
Lee Kang-In opened the scoring by converting Ousmane Dembele’s cross after just three minutes, and the Parisiens turned up the pressure, which worked since Toulouse struggled to get out of their own half, although Thijs Dallinga gave the defending Ligue 1 champions a scare when he tested Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 37th minute.
PSG felt the need to score one more goal to put the match beyond doubt, and they did so right before the end of the first half, as Kylian Mbappe picked up the ball from 25 yards, left multiple defenders in the dust, and stabbed home a clinical finish past Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes.
Toulouse did much better in the second half, but they couldn’t convert their chances, and Achraf Hakimi almost scored PSG’s third goal via a long-range free-kick.
Kylian Mbappe was obviously the Man of the Match for PSG, and deservedly so. However, Lee Kang-In, Ousmane Dembele, and debutant Lucas Beraldo deserve plaudits too for a job well done.
Countdown on the Mbappe sweepstakes begins (again)
Off the pitch, and the transfer saga of Kylian Mbappe continues in Paris. For the second year in a row, the five-time Ligue 1 champion is trying to set a deadline for his big transfer decision since he only has six months left on his current deal with PSG.
According to L’Equipe, Mbappe plans to sort out his future before the Round of 16 of the Champions League, which will happen in the second week of February. Other than PSG, Real Madrid and Liverpool will be monitoring him intently.
Kylian Mbappe has been in this position before, as he made PSG wait until the end of his previous contract before signing a new one in May 2022.
Real Madrid were once favoured to get the 25-year-old due to the growing dysfunction at PSG’s camp at the time, but fast forward to today, and Los Blancos’ chances have decreased since Mbappe is reportedly happier under manager Luis Enrique.
Leaving Paris is not as easy as it seems for Mbappe for two reasons.
If he leaves on a free transfer this June, Kylian Mbappe will waive loyalty bonus payments of up to €100 million, which is by no means a small amount of money.
And second, PSG are one of the favourites to win the Champions League this season, despite scraping into the Round of 16 after a tough group stage. For sure, he wouldn’t want to waste the great opportunity of winning that elusive trophy for the first time in his career by being a huge distraction.
AS Monaco to bring back a familiar face
Thilo Kehrer is back in Ligue 1, but this time with AS Monaco, as Les Monegasques have reached a loan agreement with West Ham United until the end of the season.
If things go smoothly between Kehrer and AS Monaco, the club can make the transfer permanent with a purchase option this summer.
Prior to leaving for West Ham United in 2022, Kehrer had won Ligue 1 three times and made a total of 85 league appearances for the Parisiens (four goals).
At East London, the German international has played 31 Premier League matches in a year and a half and also won the Europa Conference League. But this season, he is deemed a surplus for David Moyes.
This is a sound signing for AS Monaco to address their centre-half depth since Mohammed Salisu and Wilfried Singo are both headed to AFCON.
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