ERLING HAALAND IN PARIS? PSG REPORTEDLY ASKS TO BE KEPT INFORMED ON CITY STRIKER'S FUTURE
PSG is eyeing Erling Haaland: Discover why Ousmane Dembele is being offered to the PL after his fallout with Luis Enrique.
Paris Saint-Germain, fresh off their European triumph, have started poking around about Erling Haaland’s future at Manchester City. That’s according to sources.
Haaland settled at City and signed a massive long-term deal just last January. But that hasn’t stopped Europe’s biggest clubs from sniffing around. Barcelona and Real Madrid, for example, both seem convinced there are release clauses in Haaland’s contract that could let him chase his dream of playing in Spain.
Sure, a move to La Liga feels like the obvious next step for Haaland someday, but PSG aren’t sitting back. They’ve now asked to be kept in the loop if anything changes with Haaland down the line.
Important detail: PSG’s interest in Haaland isn’t tied up in the drama swirling around Ousmane Dembele. Dembele’s future in Paris has gotten pretty cloudy. He ruffled feathers after a tough loss to Rennes, basically calling out his teammates for playing selfishly. “If we play as individuals, it won’t work,” he reportedly said. That didn’t exactly win him friends in the dressing room.
Manager Luis Enrique didn’t mince words, either. He called Dembele’s comments “worthless” and made it clear that no player is bigger than the club.
Things got even messier when Enrique subbed Dembele off before half an hour had passed in PSG’s Champions League match at Monaco. His replacement, Desire Doue, helped spark a comeback win of 3-2 for PSG. That turnaround didn’t do much to help Dembele’s standing.
Now, with all this tension, intermediaries have started quietly gauging interest from other clubs for Dembele. Only a handful of teams could actually afford him, and most of the early feelers have gone out to Premier League sides.
From what we’re hearing, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea have all been approached about a possible move.
Right now, it’s anyone’s guess if PSG will try to patch things up with Dembele or nudge him out the door. One thing’s for sure, though: the club’s covering all its bases. They’re keeping tabs on Haaland, even if signing him soon feels like a long shot.
INSIDE BRADLEY BARCOLA’S DECISION TO LEAVE PSG FOR A STARRING ROLE AT ANFIELD
Bradley Barcola is keen to trade PSG for Liverpool to avoid playing "second fiddle" under Luis Enrique next season in France.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola looks pretty interested in a summer move to Liverpool, and PSG won’t stand in his way if he decides he wants out. Barcola’s not so keen on playing second fiddle to Luis Enrique anymore; he wants a bigger role.
There's been chatter about his future since last summer, and now the Premier League is catching his eye. Liverpool sounds like the most tempting option if you believe the talk coming out of France.
Barcola’s only 23, but he’s already piled up 12 goals and seven assists from 46 games. Still, at PSG, he sits behind big names like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele. Last time, he stayed put to chase a World Cup spot and another shot at the Champions League. Now, Liverpool seems more appealing; maybe the timing finally feels right for him.
Liverpool’s been weighing up different wide players for the summer. Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig and Barcola are both under consideration, according to The Times.
Arne Slot has made it clear Liverpool’s got big plans for the summer. He wants to turn things around after what’s honestly been a tough season. Slot’s first year didn’t deliver a title, and with two games left, they haven’t locked down a Champions League spot.
“Yeah, I do think I’ll turn things around," Slot said. “Not this season, though. Fans have their opinions, and they won’t change right now. But if we have the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next year: better results, better football. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but it’s not always easy to get what you want. For us, it’s pretty clear what we’ve been lacking, and we’re working on it.”
Liverpool splashed out last summer, picking up Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Milos Kerkez. But Jamie Carragher thinks they can’t repeat that kind of spending.
“They won’t be able to do what they did last summer; they just don’t have that revenue," he said. "They don’t need six or seven new faces; that’s too much change. Three solid signings would do: a right winger to replace Mo Salah, a right-back, and a central midfielder. Then, the guys they bought last year, Ekitike, Isak, and Wirtz, will start looking like even better players.”
PSG DRAW 2-2 WITH LORIENT; LIGUE 1 TITLE RACE MOVES TO LENS
PSG remain six points clear despite a 2-2 draw with Lorient, as eyes turn to their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.
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Ibrahim Mbaye got PSG off to a flying start with an early goal at Parc des Princes, but Lorient answered quickly through Pablo Pagis. Warren Zaire-Emery put PSG back in front right after coming on as a substitute; his impact was immediate.
Things turned sour for PSG, though. Pierre Mounguengue, making his debut as a teenager, made a costly mistake that let Aiyegun Tosin race clear and score Lorient’s second. PSG kept pushing for a winner but just couldn’t find one.
Still, their lead at the top sits at six points with only three matches to go, since Lens could only draw 1-1 away at Nice.
Lens will host PSG on May 13, but if Luis Enrique’s squad outperforms their nearest rivals next weekend, they’ll wrap up the title early.
PSG’s real focus, though, is on defending their European crown. They play Bayern in Munich on Wednesday, holding a narrow 5-4 advantage from the first leg.
“It’s tough for the players to get motivated after a Champions League semi-final,” said Luis Enrique, who rotated heavily, keeping just Willian Pacho and Desire Doue from the midweek lineup.
Big names like Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia stayed on the bench. Vitinha didn’t even suit up.
Nineteen-year-old Renato Marin started in goal for only the second time, and Mounguengue got his debut up front in the second half.
Here’s how it all played out: PSG took the lead in the sixth minute when Lorient’s keeper, Yvon Mvogo, bungled a clearance off Doue’s cross and the ball bounced in off Mbaye. Pagis replied with Lorient’s first equaliser, but after the break, Zaire-Emery, on for Fabian Ruiz, controlled a pass from Doue with his first touch and fired it in (thanks to a slight deflection).
But it all unravelled with Mounguengue’s poor pass. Tosin seized the chance, slotted home, and PSG dropped points at home for the third time in five league fixtures. Senny Mayulu almost stole it back late on, but his shot hit the post.
Lens let their chance slip too. They went up against Nice thanks to Allan Saint-Maximin, but dropped to ten men when Saud Abdulhamid hacked down Sofiane Diop as he closed in on goal. From the resulting free-kick, Ali Abdi pounced and made it 1-1.
Over in Marseille, the misery continued. They slumped to a 3-0 loss at Nantes, a real blow to their Champions League hopes. Ignatius Ganago, Remy Cabella, and Matthis Abline all scored in nine minutes, giving Nantes their first win in nine matches. Nantes, eight-time champions, are still in the automatic drop zone but now trail Auxerre by just two points with a couple of games left.
Marseille, on the other hand, have lost four of their last six and slipped down to seventh, trailing Monaco, who won 2-1 at Metz. With only two games left, OM are four points off a Champions League place and could even miss out on European football entirely.
Coach Habib Beye summed it up: “We got what we deserved", and insisted he wouldn’t walk away. “You don’t give up on a challenge like this. I’ll never quit.”
Monaco kept their own European push alive, coming back at Metz. American forward Folarin Balogun bagged his ninth goal in ten games to tie it up before Ansu Fati grabbed a winner in injury time. It was a bitter pill for Metz, who have now gone 20 league games without a win, which sealed their relegation.
On a much brighter note, Troyes, part of the City Football Group, is back in Ligue 1 after three years away. They made it official last weekend and sealed the Ligue 2 title with a game to spare on Saturday. Le Mans is in pole position for the second automatic promotion spot.
