Matthis Abline (22) has been one of the hot topics of the summer transfer window, with the France youth international attracting interest from clubs in Ligue 1 and the Premier League.
Amid this transfer furore, the forward has made it clear to Nantes that he wants to leave, but has so far seen his wishes quashed by a high price tag that has so far warded off interest. Nantes do not have to sell the forward and are willing to stick by their €40m valuation.
Despite there being tensions between the player and the club, Nantes and their new head coach, Luís Castro, had reportedly been trying to keep Abline on board. And there were no surprises on Sunday evening, when Abline was picked to start in the opening fixture against Paris Saint-Germain.
However, following the 1-0 defeat, RMC Sport reports that Castro spent around ten minutes criticising Abline’s performance, in front of his teammates and the backroom staff. The manager reportedly explained all the mistakes he made during the match using video footage, telling him what he should and should not have done.
The French outlet writes that the aim of this was to help Abline face up to his responsibilities, particularly off-the-ball. However, it is unclear how well the decision to do this has gone down, particularly when there are already tensions between the forward and the club.
The incident reportedly surprised Abline’s teammates, and after a summer spent trying to keep the France U21 international, there are now questions over whether he will be willing to play again for the head coach.
GFFN | Nick Hartland
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