At lot has happened at the Parc des Princes in the last few hours, with Kylian Mbappé’s decision not to extend his contract taking front and centre of the national and international sports news. However, while the future of the French attacker is obviously crucial for the next few months at PSG, the choice of manager is also a big factor for the team’s fortunes.
L’Équipe report today that Julian Nagelsmann is still the number one priority for sporting advisor Luís Campos. While negotiations have slowed down as of late, with PSG getting wind of the German’s supposedly difficult personality, the club hopes to still finalise his arrival by the end of next week.
There are also updates on the coaching staff front. As reported previously, Thierry Henry does not seem keen on joining the club, while Nagelsmann’s previous assistant coach, Dino Toppmöller, has been named head coach of Eintracht Frankfurt this week. The ex-Bayern coach is therefore still enquiring in his entourage as well as individuals who have a great knowledge of Ligue 1.
Additionally, PSG will have to handle his transfer fee. Bayern are hoping to get €8-€10 million to sell the end of the German’s contract. Meanwhile, Christophe Galtier has not been officially dismissed and while he does not seem to be in the club’s plans for the future, PSG need to find an agreement to terminate his €8 million a year contract.
Finally, Campos is keeping an open mind towards other candidates. Reportedly, he is wedded to the idea of bringing in a 3-5-2 formation next season and Nagelsmann would be a good choice to follow this path. However, both men have strong personalities and being told what to do was an issue for the German coach in Munich.
Seemingly, Nagelsmann and Campos have talked about this formation, as well as discussing what the squad could look like. There is no doubt that both would like to keep Mbappé at the club, although the club maintain that the coach and the winger’s situation are independent of each other.
GFFN | Tom Abadie