France Football report that Ligue 1 side Marseille have turned down the chance to sign Tottenham Hotspur striker Fernando Llorente.

The 33-year-old, who is seeking more playing time, was offered to OM on loan, but the French side decided not to pursue a deal.

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Amiens’ goalfest against Stade de Reims (4-1) on Saturday was loaded with talking points, most of which concern the use of VAR or lack thereof, but the Ligue 1 debut of Saman Ghoddos was particularly notable. Ghoddos was a surprise in the Picard starting XI, his signing from Östersunds for €4m having only been made official the day before. Despite partaking in a single training session with his new teammates, he was handed the keys to Amiens’ attack and marked his debut with a goal. Jordan Lefort crossed from the left and Ghoddos’ parabolic header from just inside the box made him the first ever Iranian to score in Ligue 1.

“I didn’t know anything about Ligue 1, so it was hard,” he said in English after the game, “I didn’t play well but it will get better. Every day, training and training I will improve with the team and learn how we think and play.”

Manager Christophe Pélissier’s precipitation in including the new man underlines how badly he was needed and hoped for in President Macron’s hometown. His side had yet to score in open play this season and had started in a worrisome manner. They were beaten 2-0 by a meek Lyon in their opening match, before losing 2-1 at home to Montpellier. Their troubles are however far from over, as they brace themselves for the loss of Prince-Désir Gouano, who didn’t train all week. The centre-back, who was seen as the club’s best player going into the season, is trying to force a move to Anderlecht.

But in Ghoddos, they have at last found the replacement for Gaël Kakuta at #10, their transfer priority over the summer. Last year, les Licornes had performed a coup when they obtained the loan of Kakuta from Hebei Fortune in China. The former Chelsea wonderkid played a key role, adding 6 goals and 6 assists. Replacing his creativity has been a difficult process, and although Amiens looked abroad and recruited smart (Emil Krafth from Bologna, Rafal Kurzawa from Górnik, Eddy Gnahoré from Palermo), Pélissier was still missing a player capable of carrying his attack.

For Amiens to pick up a player with a recent history so rich is remarkable. With one of the smaller budgets in Ligue 1 (36 million euros, smaller than promoted Reims), players of Ghoddos’ calibre are usually out of reach. He presents several advantages in addition to his technical skill. For one, he has played competitively through the summer in the Swedish league. He is match fit and this justified his inclusion in Saturday’s team. Further, he can play as on attacking midfielder or as a forward, which will give Pélissier options tactically.

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Amiens had initially sought to sign Ghoddos much earlier, but found themselves in competition with Stade Rennais, whose financial power and competitiveness in the league would have proved no match, if they had stayed the course for a deal. Rennes themselves were then trumped by Spanish side Huesca, who claimed to have had a legal agreement with Ghoddos for his arrival. Rennes pulled out at this stage, having their sights on other players as well. Against all odds, the cards fell back into Amiens hands who have at last found the offensive signing they have sought all summer. Huesca contested the move in front of FIFA on Thursday afternoon, but the transfer was validated.

Ghoddos’ first move outside of his native Sweden marks the next step up in a rapid rise over the last two years. Bought for €75,000 by Östersunds, he won the Swedish Cup with them in 2017, their first ever major trophy. He was a hero during their Europa League run, decisive during the playoff elimination of Galatasaray and the 2-1 win away to Arsenal. He delivered both assists in that match, earning plaudits from Arsène Wenger himself: “Ghoddos is a marvelous player technically, tactically. I was impressed by him.” Ghoddos scored 41 goals in 93 matches for Graham Potter’s former side, and these stats earned him a call-up by Iran for Team Melli’s World Cup adventure in Russia, appearing as a sub in each of their three matches.

Against Reims, Ghoddos was involved in just the one goal. Amiens attacking flurry was aided by VAR, thanks to which Reims saw Romain Métanire was sent off and Pablo Chavarria’s goal ruled offside. This played into the Northerners’ hands, but they showed hints of attacking potential which will possibly be magnified with the help of Ghoddos. Senegalese international Moussa Konaté scored his second and third goals of the season and it will be interesting to see how their partnership develops, as the game finished 4-1. One thing is sure, keep your eyes peeled for the exploits of Ligue 1’s first Persian star.

P-P.B.

Monaco aren’t like other clubs. Their rivals PSG, Marseille and Lyon boast raucous home fans, are willing to splurge on marquee signings and all proudly claim to be the biggest and best of Ligue 1’s clubs. Monaco however averaged the lowest home gates in Ligue 1 last season and, since initial investments in James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao, Les Monegasques have based their success on selling on their best players rather than haughtily parading big name signings. Spearheaded by hardball negotiator-in-chief Vice-President Vadim Vasilyev, Monaco’s unerringly astute transfer policy has long been the basis of their success. This summer, however, they might finally have made mistakes.

Since Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev acquired the Principality club, floundering in Ligue 2 at the time at the end of 2011, Monaco have worked in cycles. The plan has been to sign a host of younger players, from Ligue 1 and cost effective overseas markets; primarily Portugal (João Moutinho, Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa etc.). Those bourgeoning talents are then, supported by a sprinkling of older pros, developed over a handful of seasons until an eye-catching achievement sees their market value explode before they are sold on.

A run to the Champions’ League quarter-finals in 2015 was the culmination of Anthony Martial, Yannick Carrasco and Geoffrey Kondogbia’s generation while the title triumph in 2017 hastened Kylian Mbappé, Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva’s departures. Crucial to this model is maintaining a level of success. Thanks to the masterful Jardim continually managing to balance improving his players and finding a way to win, that goal has always been achieved as routine Champions’ League football keeps Monaco’s squad at the forefront of Europe’s footballing consciousness and aids with funding.

Having stayed to help secure second place last term, a sizeable achievement in itself, the final few sellable title winners were finally allowed to go, leaving Vasilyev with a new team to build. That process has, compared to previous occasions, been close to disastrous in execution and oddly misguided in focus. Now Monaco await Atletico Madrid’s visit on Tuesday with just 5 points from 5 league games and a horribly inexperienced, raw and naive side. A necessarily competitive European campaign and a return to Europe’s premier competition via Ligue 1 are both seemingly unlikely.

Monaco’s recruitment policy has shifted, in general terms, from targeting players on the cusp of realising their potential and rapidly developing senior careers to simply signing promising youngsters. While Aleksandr Golovin (22), yet to make his debut due to injury, fits that mould, as does Samuel Grandsir, the only genuinely exciting Ligue 1 addition from relegated Troyes, high-profile teenagers Pietro Pellegri (17), Sofiane Diop (18), both prominent in the first team, and Willem Geubbels (17), currently injured, do not. The three forwards had just 9 senior outings between them at the start of the campaign. Although their talent is obvious, they remain longer term investments who fall short of being ready for the responsibility that Thomas Lemar or Fabinho assumed upon their arrivals.

Across previous generations, balance has been crucial to maintaining Monaco’s momentum. As the previous cycle began the experience of João Moutinho, Kamil Glik and Radamel Falcao complimented developing talents of Thomas Lemar, Fabinho and Mendy, all of whom had considerable top flight experience. Youth has become the focus of Monaco’s recruitment policy, 11 of the 18 selected for Saturday’s draw at Toulouse were 23 or under while the calming influence of João Moutinho has yet to be adequately replaced.

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Individual issues have also been handled poorly while a range additions, simple misfortune also partly to blame, have simply not come off. The £30m spent on Keita Baldé now seems misguided, Youri Tielemans, added last summer alongside Baldé, remains little more than promising while Strasbourg’s midfield dynamo Jean-Eudes Aholou (24) looks a little out of his depth.

A previously mutually beneficial connection with super-agent Jorge Mendes saw midfielder ‘Pelé’ signed from Rio Ave reportedly upon the Portuguese deal-maker’s persistent request, with the hope that Mendes would send one of his top players Vasilyev’s way later in the window. That assumption proved incorrect and Jardim is understood to have been so displeased with Pelé that he was open to the player leaving on loan before the summer window closed.

Full-back continues to be an issue. Djibril Sidibé’s fitness concerns have prevented his sale and led to the uncharacteristically costly £18m addition of Benjamin Henrichs from Bayer Leverkusen. Promising full back Almamy Touré was in line to become first choice this summer but following Sidibe’s stay and Henrichs’ arrival, he has so far refused to sign a new deal and will likely leave next summer for free. A deal for Toulouse defender Issa Diop, who eventually joined West Ham, also fell through; an affordable developing player with Ligue 1 smarts characteristic of the policy that previously proved so profitable in all positions.

In previous seasons the intelligent stewardship of Leonardo Jardim has protected management from spending what fans have perceived as too little and found a way to achieve the club’s goals, but Jardim may simply not have the tools at his disposal to repeat the feat. As a result Monaco, having risen to sharply from the foot of Ligue 2 at Christmas 2011 to Ligue 1 winners five and a half years later largely thanks to considered, astute coaching, scouting and administration, are now on the brink of a dramatic fall as a result of the failings of the same hierarchy. With whispers abound that Rybolovlev is considering his continued investment in the club, the Monaco project may have already seen its peak.

1 | Paris Saint-Germain will be happy with a comprehensive win over Saint-Étienne, especially having been deprived of Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, but even given the leaders’ impressive home record, questions must be asked of Jean-Louis Gasset’s improvised tactics. Deprived of Mathieu Debuchy and Rémy Cabella through injury, Gasset opted to play a 3-4-3 with Kévin Monnet-Paquet and Gabriel Silva as wing-backs. Neither player impressed, with Monnet-Paquet in particular being embarrassed by Julian Draxler. Gasset’s 4-2-3-1 was a reliable and solid formation down the back end of last season; even without Debuchy and Cabella, he should have shown less impetuousness, given what is expected of Les Verts this season.

2 | Nantes were another club who have spent heavily, by their standards, this summer, with Anthony Limbombe and Lucas Evangelista among Les Canaris‘ marquee signings. Both players have impressed, and look good value for their fees, but manager Miguel Cardoso seems lost as to how to wring the best from his side tactically. Despite a surfeit of attackers at his disposal, even at home to promoted Reims, the Portuguese played a negative 4-3-3 with Limbombe and Gabriel Boschilia only featuring from the bench. Edouard Mendy admittedly impressed in goal for Reims, but with only five goals in as many matches, if the Breton side don’t show become more clinical in attack, Cardoso could come under fire, and not without some justification.

3 | Nîmes played the entertainers again on Sunday in a 3-3 draw at Bordeaux. Les Crocodiles were full of attacking verve as they have been since the season’s start, but somewhat lost in the shuffle of their fine early play was Umut Bozok’ struggles, with the youngster, scorer of 24 goals in Ligue 2 last season, even being dropped. With a goal and an assist on Sunday, he has finally made his mark in the top flight, and as thrilling as Nîmes have been to date, there could yet be another level to their play should he continue to improve.

Results: Nice 2-1 Rennes, PSG 4-0 St Étienne, Caen 2-2 Lyon, Amiens 2-3 Lille, Dijon 1-3 Angers, Montpellier 1-1 Strasbourg, Toulouse 1-1 Monaco, Nantes 0-0 Reims, Bordeaux 3-3 Nîmes, Marseille 4-0 Guingamp.

A.W. and E.D.

Nice-Matin report that last weekend 70-year-old football fan Christian Joubert received a bad surprise when he tried to enter the Stade Louis II to watch AS Monaco take on Marseille.

Joubert was wearing the new French national team shirt with two stars emblazoned on the badge, but was prevented by security from entering the stadium owing to national football guidelines which seek to prevent hooliganism, which suggest the banning of fans entering the stadium who wear football shirts that are neither that of the home or away team.

“I brought the shirt with me because the World Cup was being presented with Djibril Sidibé. I thought that the steward was joking. So I went past, but at the second check, I was stopped. I was waiting for them to tell me I was on a hidden camera prank show. They told me that they were following orders. They called the police to eject me from the stadium.”

The fan was eventually allowed in the stadium, 15 minutes after kick-off, after being allowed in with the shirt inside-out.

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Tuttosport this morning announced a list of 40 nominees for their annual Golden Boy award, given to the world’s most promising young footballer. Ligue 1 & France are, as ever, well represented this year, with 13 names announced.

Nominees currently residing in Ligue 1 or of French nationality are as follows:

Kelvin Amian (Toulouse), Houssem Aouar (Lyon), Moussa Diaby (PSG), Odsonne Edouard (Celtic/France), Boubacar Kamara (Marseille), Abdoulaye Keita (Dijon), Alban Lafont (Fiorentina/France), Manu Garcia (Toulouse), Kylian Mbappé (PSG), Pietro Pellegri (AS Monaco), Ismaila Sarr (Rennes), Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig/France), Timothy Weah (PSG).

You can see all the nominees and vote here.

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Lyon defender Jérémy Morel has today confirmed his decision to represent Madagascar at international level.

The 34-year-old has played 303 matches in Ligue 1 and is eligible to play for the African country owing to the origin of his father.

Morel also confirmed that he will play in the African Cup of Nations in 2019 for Madagascar.

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Mediapart claim as part of the Football Leaks series that PSG’s sponsorship contract with the Qatari Tourism Authority (QTA), which was a €1.075bn deal over five years, was overvalued by the Ligue 1 club by 77 times more than the market rate amount, meaning that the deal should have only seen PSG rake in €2.78m.

It was after this revelation uncovered by the CFCB Investigatory Chamber in 2014 that Michel Platini and Gianni Infantino are said to have met with President Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Director General Jean-Claude Blanc, in order to resolve this major FFP violation, with the UEFA men proposing that the parties “settle this amicably”.

In this negotiating process, much like in his dealings with Manchester City, Infantino is alleged to have given several concessions to PSG, including the the eventual fine that Les Parisiens were expected to pay going from €60m to €20m, and ignoring the advice of the CFCB Investigatory Chamber in devaluing the QTA sponsorship contract to the extent that they recommended.

A Football Leaks document obtained by Mediapart showed that UEFA were never considering excluding PSG from the Champions’ League, despite the fact that FFP regulations state that this is a just cause of action, with a quote from an email stating: “You have to be reasonable and try to find solutions that will not affect the quality [of the competition].”

PSG intriguingly failed to honour certain obligations in their QTA contract, which raises doubt as to why the QTA did not pursue Les Parisiens for breach of contract. Notably, their decision to have the “Qatar Winter Tour” in Marrakech, when the deal required them to hold it in Doha instead.

After being asked for comment by Mediapart, PSG merely responded that “these contracts are normal”.

The report also focuses on the change to FFP regulations that occurred in 2015, which aims to prevent “state-controlled” clubs from seeing sponsors from one country providing more than 30% of club revenues. As a result, PSG had to devalue certain contracts, including those with BeIN Sports and the QTA. They did not reduce their expensed though, shortly thereafter purchasing Kylian Mbappé and Neymar for a total of €402m.

Mediapart also reveals that as recently as May 2018, UEFA proposed a new “secret and unofficial agreement” to PSG over their FFP violations, following the opening of a new CFCB Investigatory Chamber enquiry into Les Parisiens’ books in September 2017. This new agreement would see PSG raise significant funds through player sales and then not receive an FFP punishment.

In June 2018, it is understood that PSG informed UEFA that they would accept their QTA contract to be devalued to just €60m, but the CFCB Investigatory Chamber refused, judging that to be too lenient a position.

Les Parisiens did this summer seek to redress the books, making player sales worth around €150m and spending very little, but the ding dong battle between the CFCB Investigatory Chamber and PSG is not over.

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Le 10 Sport report that Championship side Aston Villa’s scouts in France in recent weeks have been impressed by the performances of two Ligue 1 players.

They are Sada Thioub, newly-promoted Ligue 1 side Nîmes’ 23-year-old winger and Angers central midfielder Baptiste Santamaria, the latter of whom is still attracting attention from St Étienne and Bordeaux.

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AS Monaco are wasting on time in attacking the January transfer market after a horrendous first half of the season has seen them crash out of the Champions’ League and sit 19th in the Ligue 1 table under the recent stewardship of Thierry Henry.

France Football report that agent Jorge Mendes is working to position 36-year-old free agent and central defender Pepe at AS Monaco, after the player recently reached a mutual termination agreement with Besiktas to put an end to his contract with the Turkish giants.

Paris United’s European arm are indicating that Monaco are also weighing up making a proposition for Croatian international and Besiktas defender Domagoj Vida. Initial conversations have taken place between both clubs regarding a possible transfer.

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Serie A giants AC Milan are actively negotiating to sign 18-year-old left-back Leroy Abanda on a free transfer from AS Monaco, according to Gianluca di Marzio.

The Italian journalist has not provided any further details on the potential deal, but Abanda’s youth contract with the Principality side expires in June of this year.

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