France Bleu report this afternoon that Gaël Kakuta is closing in on a move away from Lens, with the Artois club having reached an agreement with Amiens over the midfielder’s transfer.

The former Chelsea man, who has seen his playing time with the Sang et Or decrease drastically since his first season, is set to return to the club he spent the 2017/18 and 2019/20 campaigns with as a “joker” one-off transfer which clubs are allowed to make outside the summer window.

Kakuta scored 11 goals and was a regular fixture in Franck Haise’s team in the club’s first season back in Ligue 1, but has seen the young David Pereira da Costa gradually take his spot in the starting eleven. This season, he has come on as a substitute on two occasions, for a total of 20 minutes’ worth of action. He now returns to Amiens to help them in their promotion push, as they currently sit second in Ligue 2.

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This is the latest feature in our series counting down French football’s 20 hottest properties, those most likely to feature in elite clubs’ 2023 transfer plans. Look out for the next player tomorrow and follow the run down in full here on GFFN.Lille’s Jonathan David has long been seen as a potential target for big clubs, and for good reason, but he remains in France. However, the Canadian managed nine goals in his first fourteen league games this season, and looks once more to be Les Dogues’ leading hope for a successful Ligue 1 campaign. The Canadian finished last term as the club’s top scorer under Jocelyn Gourvennec, scoring 15 in 32 starts. The major criticism, though, was that just three came in 2022 as David endured a dry spell that saw him score just once in 17 league matches.

This season he’s started well again. Playing under his third coach at LOSC, Paulo Fonseca, following Gourvennec and Christophe Galtier, David has featured both as a lone striker and in conjunction with new signing and fellow striker Mohamed Bayo from Clermont. He’s responsible for 35% of his side’s total output so far and, as it did in the first half of last season, his range of finishing has impressed. David ended the 21/22 campaign with more right-footed goals but, if his recent excellent left-footed finish against Toulouse is anything to go by, the former Gent man has been training hard in the off-season to become even more unpredictable.

The former Ottawa youngster averaged 0.65 goals per 90 minutes through to the start of November this season, ranking above Alexandre Lacazette, Wissam Ben Yedder and Lionel Messi. Although Lille’s talisman has slightly underperformed next to his expected goals tally this season, according to FBRef, David has outperformed his xG across his time in France, a sign of great finishing rather than luck.

It’s difficult to compare David to other forwards. Goal poaching is just one element of the striker’s skillset – his link-up play helped guide Lille to the 2021 Ligue 1. In that respect, he’s reminiscent of Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus. Both can trap a fast ball into their feet and quickly move it elsewhere to another teammate before spinning their marker and making a run in behind. It’s that versatility that makes David hard to profile, and defend against. Though he went goalless against Lucien Favre’s Nice in a 1-2 defeat, he gave one of France’s leading young centre-backs, Jean-Clair Todibo, a torrid time as he constantly lured the defender out of position.

At Lille, David has most often been paired with another striker, usually Burak Yilmaz. Aware of his surroundings and quick with the flicks, David seemed to thrive with another forward next to him. This season, though, with Bayo exiled to the bench for bad behaviour, we’ve seen the first glimpses of Canada’s starting striker play as a lone forward in a top-five league. The results have been strong, even beyond goal-scoring.

David has averaged more touches per 90 minutes this season than in any other so far at Lille, still finding space and passing opportunities without obvious options. Questions remain, however, after that dry spell which likely put off bigger clubs from making an approach this summer, a slight embarrassment for the player and his agent who had both intermated David would be leaving Lille in the summer.

Worries over last season’s inconsistency linger and, although his strong start is promising, given €40m is likely needed to pry him away from the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, with his contract running to 2025, scouts and coaches will want to be more assured of consistent output. It’s something that held back Alexander Isak from a big transfer away from Real Sociedad, until Newcastle gambled on the Swede. David, meanwhile, will remain pragmatic over any move away from Lille, before moving to France he explained that “I don’t want to go somewhere and just stay on the bench. It’s about taking the right step.”

Nevertheless, it’s hard to criticise a move for David. He speaks French and English, works hard defensively and won’t turn 23 until January. He’s proven he can be effective in various systems too as Lille have gone from counter-attacking demons in Galter’s title-winning campaign, to the team with the fourth-most average possession in France and David has still been able to play his own game. That versatility makes him an excellent pickup for anyone.

To be specific though, David would likely thrive at a counter-attacking team that likes to chase space in behind. His speed and agility makes him lethal in those scenarios. That should get clubs like Leicester City, Brentford and Everton interested. Borussia Dortmund could also be an interesting option. With the unfortunate circumstances around Sebastian Haller’s illness and a mixed start to the season from emergency signing Anthony Modeste, a mobile forward in the shape of the Canadian could be what BVB coach Edin Terzić needs.

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Speaking in his press conference ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League group stage clash against Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier sought to play down Kylian Mbappé’s discontent over his role in the frontline.

After the 0-0 draw to Reims over the weekend, the French forward caused a stir with a social media post in which he appeared to echo his previous comments about preferring to play in a two-man attack with a pivot, rather than PSG’s three-forward set-up.

PSG have decided against taking action, while Galtier has indicated that he understands the attacker’s frustration:

“You have Kylian’s reaction after his match. It was a reaction in the heat of the moment, after a moment of disappointment. I spoke a lot with Kylian at the start of the season and I was very attentive to his comments when he was playing for France, saying that he felt better in Les Bleus’ attacking set-up.”

“I don’t know what was said to Kylian before I arrived in Paris. But across pre-season we spoke with Luís Campos and the president [Nasser Al-Khelaifi] to get a fourth striker, with a different profile, who would allow for two strikers and for Kylian to play as much as possible in his preferred area. Right now we have other players who are totally different, but are still world class. Kylian sometimes finds himself in the middle and he gets the impression that he’s a pivot. But he’s a smart player who’s capable of adapting. I spoke with him yesterday at length – about being able to have a conversation with him, on his expectations.”

“Kylian is already at 11 goals and I know he’s going to score a lot more. To tell you the whole story, he shouldn’t have played against Reims, he was ill. You already have Leo [Messi’s] absence, Neymar had muscular pains. Kylian played while ill and tired, in a match which didn’t turn out well for us. I’m trying to reassure him by finding different options. We’re very mindful about his comments and his thinking because he’s a very important player for the team.”

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Speaking following his side’s 2-0 win against Sporting Lisbon last night, manager Igor Tudor praised Marseille’s performance against the Portuguese side and spoke about the possibility of qualifying to the next phase of the Champions League if the next two games prove fruitful for the Olympians. Tudor said the following, as transcribed by L’Équipe.

“It’s a fantastic performance. We played a very good game, from start to finish, we deserved the three points. With six points, we can start dreaming of reaching the next round with two games to go in the group stage. But the standings are tight and all four teams can still qualify for the last 16.”

“The confidence is high, the team seems to me to be in a good moment, and in a very good physical state. Yesterday (Tuesday), on the eve of the game, three or four players came to see me to say: “Don’t worry, coach, tomorrow we’ll be there, we’ll win. It was a good moment, great feelings. Today, everything is open, we have these two games, we’ll go match by match, and we’ll see what happens. But it’s good to be in this position, and we’re all happy to be there.”

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Reims have this morning announced that the club have taken the decision to suspend manager Óscar García, with the club currently lying in 15th place in Ligue 1.

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The Spaniard will be replaced in the short-term by assistant manager WIlliam Still, with today’s statement explaining that results were below expectations and that the reasoning for the move was to “protect the superior interests of the institution”.

The Champagne club have registered just one win all season, a 4-2 away win over Angers, and in their last outing managed to hold a depleted Paris Saint-Germain to a draw at home.

García had missed the clash against PSG for “family reasons”, with the former Brighton and Watford manager returning th Barcelona over the weekend.

The former attacking midfielder guided the club to a 12th-place finish last year, in a season which notably saw the young striker Hugo Ekitike announce himself to French football, eventually earning the teenager a move to PSG in the summer.

Le10Sport are reporting that although former Lyon manager Peter Bosz held discussions with Wolverhampton Wanderers, he is unlikely to take charge at the Premier League club. 

Bosz was sacked as Lyon manager following a poor run of form, which left them adrift of the podium, despite a positive start to the campaign. A 1-1 draw against Toulouse was the nail in the coffin on his reign, and he was swiftly replaced by Laurent Blanc. 

Dutch manager Bosz is now looking to get back in the game, although it is unlikely that that will be at Wolves. According to Le10Sport, Bosz had discussions with Wolves a few days ago. However, at board level, there was a lack of unanimity about his profile, and the club are also favouring alternative targets. According to multiple sources in the UK, QPR manager Michael Beale is now the favourite to take the manager’s job at Molineux following the sacking of Bruno Lage earlier this month. 

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Paris-Saint Germain midfielder Vitinha (22) was absent from training this morning on the eve of the club’s trip to Corsica to face Ajaccio, according to L’Équipe. 

Alongside Marco Verratti (29), Vitinha has been a mainstay in PSG’s midfield this term. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man arrived from Porto for a reported €40m and has gone on to start 13 times for the reigning Ligue 1 champions this season. 

However, Vitinha could be absent for Friday night’s trip to face Ajaccio, who currently sit 18th in Ligue 1. He was absent from PSG’s final training session before they make the trip to Corsica. Should he not be fit, manager Christophe Galtier can call upon either Carlos Soler (25) or Fabián Ruiz (26). The Spaniards also joined the club this summer, but have found game time difficult to come by due to Vitinha’s consistency in the midfield pivot. 

Neymar and Sergio Ramos are suspended from the tie, whilst Danilo, Nuno Mendes and Presnel Kimpembe are all injured and are certain to miss out. 

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As reported by Le10Sport, PSG’s veteran defender Sergio Ramos is edging closer to a contract extension in Paris as the club opens talks with Lionel Messi over a similar deal.

Initially signing a two-year deal in Ligue 1 last summer, the now 36-year-old Ramos wasn’t planning on extending his stay in France after his first season was badly affected by injuries. However, now he’s returned to fitness and enjoyed a full pre-season, the Spaniard is settling in Paris and is becoming a major voice in the club’s dressing room. Ramos has been enjoying some much-improved form on the pitch and was unhappy over Spain national team coach Luis Enrique’s failure to recall him in September.

As a result, momentum behind a contract extension is gathering pace. Although concrete discussions have yet to be opened with Ramos’ representatives, PSG are strongly considering a new deal for the player which has been given the green light by Paris’ owners QSI. However, much like Lionel Messi’s potential new deal – one which sporting director Luis Campos is handling personally, a financial middle ground will have to be found as Ramos currently earns €8m a season and will turn 37 in March.

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In an official statement from the club, Stade Brestois have condemned racist insultes allegedly coming from Clermont captain Johan Gastien. The club said the following on the matter:

Stade Brestois brings all its support to its player Islam Slimani, who reported having been the victim of racist insults during the match against Clermont during the 12th day of Ligue 1 Uber Eats.

The club has always condemned all forms of discrimination or racism and can not accept such abuses. The Stade Brestois is now at the disposal of the authorities and asks the Disciplinary Commission to shed light on these facts.

As reported by L’Équipe, Amazon Prime’s Ligue 1 coverage showed Brest striker Islam Slimani appearing to go up to the fourth official midway through the Breton side’s game against Clermont this afternoon to complain of a racist comment by an opponent.

The former Monaco and Lyon forward ostensibly told the referee that he had been called a “dirty arab” while pointing out one of the Clermont players.

After Brest’s 3-1 win, the Algerian international told journalists in the mixed zone that it was the captain (midfielder Johan Gastien) who had insulted him, and claimed that he was called a “dirty blédard” [blédard being a pejorative term for rural North Africans]. Slimani added that “I think it’s serious, in this day and age, to be called a dirty blédard. I’m proud to be a blédard, I’m proud to be Algerian”.

Gastien himself has denied the accusation, insisting that “I would never in my life say that”. “The issue in this story is that I’m the one who’s going to look like a fool. I know what I said, my colleagues out on the pitch also heard what happened”.

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According to Le Parisien Paris Saint-Germain are happy with the progress and development of Ethan Mbappé, brother of French superstar Kylian. After training with the first team on Sunday, as well as making his first start in the UEFA League for PSG’s U19 side – he could be set for more minutes in the PSG reserve side. PSG U19 manager Zoumana Camara was full of praise for the young midfielder:

“He is a boy who works well, he has the right state of mind, he’s great with the ball. Now he’s getting a bit more aggressive, he needs to control it. But his progression is linear, it goes very, very well. He is well accepted in the group and I am happy that he has performed well, because football is also about seizing opportunities.”

“You’re asking me a lot of questions about Ethan. I treat him like the others. Other players played a very good match… I know it’s Mbappé, I worked with his brother, when I see his face he reminds me a little of him (smile). But, for me, he is a player like any other. There is no special treatment.”

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