PARIS (AP) — French champion Paris Saint-Germain offloaded several players Thursday and hoped to complete a busy last day of the transfer window by signing Inter Milan’s central defender Milan Skriniar.
PSG coach Christophe Galtier really wants another defender so he can rotate his squad properly. PSG has reportedly offered 60 million euros ($60 million) for the 27-year-old Skriniar.
But Italian champion Inter was demanding more, even though the Slovakia international only has one year left on his contract and is a free agent in January.
Galtier got an experienced midfielder when Fabian Ruiz joined earlier this week on a five-year deal from Napoli, with attacking midfielder Carlos Soler reportedly also set to arrive from Spanish side Valencia.
Ruiz scored 22 goals in 166 games over four seasons with the Serie A club, winning the Italian Cup in 2020. Soler netted 12 league goals in each of the past two seasons and would offer Galtier another creative spark if he needs to rest Neymar or Lionel Messi.
Before hopefully signing Skriniar, PSG’s transfer outlay had reached 130 million euros ($130 million). It included midfielders Vitinha (Porto) and Renato Sanches (Lille) and right back Nordi Mukiele (Leipzig).
Needing to lighten its squad in order to better recruit, PSG sold holding midfielder Idrissa Gueyeto back to Everton, having bought him from the Premier League club in 2019. Striker Arnaud Kalimuendo was bought by Rennes and defender Thilo Kehrer went to Premier League club West Ham this week.
PSG also sent several players out on loan.
Left back Layvin Kurzawa (Fulham) and the versatile Abdou Diallo (Leipzig) were loaned out on Thursday, joining midfield trio Georginio Wijnaldum (Roma), Leandro Paredes (Juventus) and Ander Herrera (Athletic Bilbao) out the door.
Winger Angel Di Maria had joined Juve on a free transfer.
Galtier had initially wanted another forward, but with PSG scoring 21 goals in five league games thanks to its glittering attack trio of Messi, the rejuvenated Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, it was hardly needed.
Marseille spent around 75 million euros on transfers but coach Igor Tudor got forward Alexis Sanchez from Inter on a free transfer. Goal-scoring midfielder Jordan Veretout joined from Roma.
Wingback Nuno Tavares has proved an inspired loan signing from Arsenal, scoring three goals in five league games.
Marseille freed up some of its hefty wage bill by loaning out striker Arkadiusz Milik to powerhouse Juventus and midfielder Kevin Strootman to second-tier Italian side Genoa.
Nice recruited two Premier League veterans in goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel for 1 million euros and midfielder Aaron Ramsey on a free transfer. Winger Nicolas Pepe joined on a season’s loan from Premier League leader Arsenal, and scored in his side’s midweek win at Lille.
Coach Lucien Favre’s main signings for Nice were midfielder Sofiane Diop from Monao (22 million euros) and center back Mattia Viti from Italian side Empoli.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas showed why he is one of the best operators in the transfer market when he sold sold midfielder Lucas Paqueta to West Ham for 61.6 million euros in a deal that could rise to around 80 — which would be four times the amount Lyon paid for him two years ago.
Lyon managed to bring in two hugely experienced players in forward Alexandre Lacazette and France midfielder Corentin Tolisso on free transfers. They were both formed at the club.
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