As the years go by, the title of champion of France is less and less celebrated at Parc des Princes, and it seems that this year there has been almost no excitement about the return to the throne. PSG are a team that has long since exceeded the limits of French football, regardless of last year’s success of Lille and a previous similar endeavor by Monaco in 2017, although success in Europe could not come even after more than a decade of Qatari sheikh rule and billions invested in raising the club to the top.As the title is something that has been practically not talked about in Paris for some time, the leading people of the Saints plan to turn a new page in order to finally make a step forward and win the Ol’ Big Ears to which they were closest two years ago. While speculations about the stay of Kylian Mbappe are growing louder and even legitimate details are being presented that support this position, PSG have devised a work plan for the upcoming transfer market and the modality that will be followed to make the club the best in Europe. The comprehensive plan includes a change of the first team manager, parting ways with several players and an attack on some transfer targets that have been on the scout’s radar for a long time.Oh, you don’t say! Mbappe saga continues – there is no agreement with PSGIt all starts with the coach. At this moment, the only thing that is certain is that Mauricio Pochettino will not stay in the same place when the curtain falls, and this verdict was ‘signed’ after the elimination by Real Madrid in the eighth-finals of the Champions League. Since then, the club leaders have been looking for a man who would have the authority and power to handle the huge ego of the locker room, which consists of Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marquinhos, Marco Veratti…The favorite of the Qatari owners is Zinedine Zidane. It is no secret that in Paris they are trying in every way to convince the legendary Zizu, whose priority is still to take over the French national team from Didier Deschamps, because he is a little fed up with club football. The position on Les Bleus’ bench will be free for the taking after the World Cup in Qatar, so PSG still have some time to convince Zidane to take over the French giant. The reasons why Zizu is the first pick are not only his understanding of football and tactical knowledge, but above all the authority and reputation he enjoys among the players. As one of the best midfielders of all time, Zidane has been an idol to many of today’s stars, including Mbappe, and he is also a domestic coach which would have added weight.Ligue 1 title means nothing when you are after the Champions League: Pochettino is leaving PSGAntonio Conte is mentioned as a backup option, although he recently publicly stated that speculations about the transfer to PSG were deliberately placed in order to destabilize Tottenham, as well as Joachim Low and even Thiago Motta. Low is out of work after leaving the bench of Germany, and since he has not been in club football for a long time, the question is how he would manage in Paris, especially if he is not allowed time to establish his system. Motta is not doing very well in coaching waters, after leaving the young team of PSG where he started, he managed Genoa for two months before he was fired, and since last summer he has been on the bench of Spezia, which are now close to surviving in the Serie A. He tried to revolutionize football by pulling the goalkeeper out of the penalty area and involving him more in the game upfront, along with implementing a defense in which there would be only two men, but such attempts met with ridicule from football critics.Nantes win Coupe de France trophy after over two decadesPSG are approaching the issue of choosing a new coach with extreme caution, because a new mistake must not happen. Pochettino seemed like a good choice at the time of his arrival instead of Thomas Tuchel, but his reputation has now fallen so much that Manchester United (who wanted the Argentinian for a long time) chose Erik ten Hag instead. The final decision on the new coach will not be made before the end of the season.##EDITORS_CHOICE##As for the roster, the biggest enigma is Neymar’s status. Of course, Mbappe’s future is more important, but there has been a lot of talk about that in the previous months, and it is clear to everyone that a lot will depend on the club’s final decision. Next on the list is a Brazilian. There is no more transfer window in which there is no talk about whether Neymar will stay or leave, how much his influence is on the team, whether he harms or benefits more, or how good he is for the locker room… In Doha, there are allegedly intensive talks about whether Neymar should be sold or not, because allegedly the executives have lost patience for his outbursts and especially the fact that he is no longer as effective as in previous years. Especially not in the rank of the astronomical salary he receives (over 35 million euros), which burdens the budget of PSG. Nevertheless, his stay is more certain at this moment, mostly because it is questionable whether and who would want to set aside a dizzying amount of money to buy Neymar.Neymar is at war with the Parisians: “Boo all you want – I’ll be here for another three years!”While his stay is being negotiated, four players seem to have been crossed out. Mauro Icardi, Layvin Kurzawa, Angel Di Maria and Kaylor Navas are reportedly free to choose a new environment. Among those mentioned, only Di Maria’s contract expires, and compensation will be sought for the others in order to make a certain stock for possible purchases. Icardi definitely did not fit into the concept of PSG and as he scored only five goals in all competitions this year, he is simply no longer necessary for the Saints. Again, mostly because of the salary they received. Kurzawa signed a new contract with PSG two years ago, despite all the announcements about his departure, and now the parting is closer than ever before. The French defender played only one match for the entire season even though he was not injured, which speaks volumes about how much the team needs him. Navas recently told the manager and the club executives that he wants to play regularly and that he will no longer sit on the bench and look at the back of Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is prone to mistakes. It is true that Navas has a huge salary of 13 million euros a year, but he is ready to give up part of the money in order to stand between the post regularly. If not in Paris, somewhere else.Rebel Navas: ‘I want to play, something has to change’As for possible arrivals, all eyes are on Paul Pogba. The old story got a new chapter, and during the upcoming transfer window it could be the closest to realization, since the Frenchman’s contract at Manchester United expires and it is increasingly certain that he will not extend his stay at Old Trafford. English media was recently shaken by allegations that he was asked for by the town rival Man City, but PSG still have the financial power to match the favourite project of Arab businessmen. The other pick is Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco, with one of the most wanted young midfielders in the world and the legitimate successor of N’Golo Kante wanting to go abroad. Real Madrid and Chelsea have long been mentioned as possible employers.PSG are at a crossroads again. Will they choose the right path this time?LIGUE 1 – ROUND 36FridayLOSC Lille – Monaco 1-2 (0-1)/Gomes 69 – Tchouameni 42, 75/SaturdayBrest – Strasbourg 0-1 (0-0)/Gameiro 72/Sunday14:00: (7.75) Metz (4.80) Olympique Lyon (1.40)16:00: (2.25) Angers (3.35) Bordeaux (3.50)16:00: (1.87) Clermont (3.50) Montpellier (4.30)16:00: (3.30) Reims (3.25) Lens (2.25)18:05: (4.10) Lorient (3.50) Olympique Marseille (1.90)21:45: (1.18) PSG (7.75) Troyes (13.0)Wednesday20:00: (1.57) Nice (4.10) Saint-Etienne (6.75)22:00: (5.40) Nantes (3.80) Rennes (1.73)***odds are subject to change
