Mourinho PSG, Zaha Marseille transfer and more

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Could Jose Mourinho really be in contention for the PSG job?

There have been reports on that Jose Mourinho is a contender for the PSG job, and while it can’t be ruled out entirely, I can’t imagine he’s one of the club’s leading candidates at the moment.

PSG could be changing their strategy this summer towards a model built around younger players and particularly French talent, but it’s important to be clear that they haven’t actioned this yet. It’s an idea that the club is increasingly open towards and that the fans would be on board with equally, there is also a debate to be had about whether PSG changing direction like that would be able to meet the demands and expectations of the club, particularly with regards to making a more serious challenge for the Champions League. There is the feeling that, really, what PSG are missing is that professional, winning culture, that would help them as they try to model themselves on some of the more successful institutions of European football. My feeling is that PSG have missed the boat a bit because of the culture they’ve built up in the last ten years.

Still, it could be that trying root through the drama and issues in this squad, someone as aggressive and as straight-talking as Mourinho wouldn’t be the worst pick for PSG. The issue, in my opinion, is whether or not even a strong character like Mourinho would be capable of keeping a lid on this PSG squad, keeping them focused, and taking out a lot of the elements that seem to lead to the implosions that plague them every year. Is Mourinho more the sort of candidate they should have gone for about ten years ago, around the time they had Carlo Ancelotti?

The reason Mourinho has never previously been a strong candidate for them, as I understand it, is because of a sort of historic lack of interest, for want of a better word – Mourinho has never seemed interested in coming to France or to PSG, I don’t know if that’s a specific issue with the project, or a preference for the leagues in England and Italy, or just because he’s perhaps preparing the ground for PSG at some point, if they really want him, to make a massive offer and a massive effort for him.

If Luis Campos stays on at PSG then there could be a good Portuguese connection there, but my honest opinion is that Mourinho is probably behind some of the other candidates being talked about, such as Zinedine Zidane or Thiago Motta, but we’ll see. Mourinho’s done a good job with Roma and if he manages to win the Europa League that’ll be a very impressive achievement. I think his spell in Serie A has certainly repaired his reputation to some degree and there could be a lot of interest in him this summer.

Marseille among Wilfried Zaha transfer suitors

Obviously Wilfried Zaha’s going to be of interest to a number of clubs around Europe as he nears becoming a free agent. The rumoured interest from Ligue 1 clubs such as Marseille makes sense as the Ivory Coast international is a French speaker, so I think there’ll be a number of French clubs looking at him.

Marseille are one of those and I think they’re an attractive team for him as they prepare to qualify for the Champions League. I think they’re an ambitious team and an attractive project for him – Zaha’s in his 30s now and he’ll want a new challenge and to test himself at a higher level. Marseille are looking to do smart business, so a proven player like this on a free who’d definitely have a key role in their squad makes sense for them. I haven’t heard anything concrete in terms of contacts just yet, but I do think it’s a potential move of interest for Marseille.

The other one I’d keep an eye on with Marseille is Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun. There’s been a lot of debate about Balogun’s future and his price tag, but personally I can see that link between Arsenal and Marseille being used again, perhaps in the form of a loan, or a loan with an option or obligation to buy. It would be good experience for Balogun, but it also gives Arsenal at least a semi-guarantee to be able to cash in on him, whereas other clubs might not yet be ready to pay top dollar for a player who’s just had one successful season in Ligue 1, as impressive as he has been for Reims.

Matteo Guendouzi has matured at Marseille and could be a target for Aston Villa

Speaking of that Arsenal and Marseille connection, it’s been interesting to see the development of Matteo Guendouzi in recent times. He’s more consistent now than he was at Arsenal, he’s matured a lot, and is not as much of a hot-headed player as he used to be, even if he still has his moments. He’s become a leader in this Marseille squad, and is benefiting from playing at the upper end of Ligue 1 and getting European experience as well.

Marseille would love to keep him, but Aston Villa, managed now by former Arsenal manager Unai Emery, really wanted him in January. It didn’t happen on that occasion but it wouldn’t surprise me if Villa come back in for him, because they’ll probably be a more attractive proposition for him now, with Emery looking like getting them into Europe.

I think there has been a sense for some time that Guendouzi would go back to the Premier League at some point, so I think Marseille are quite resigned to losing him this summer, so keep an eye on what Villa do what that. They’re not afraid to splash the cash, and Guendouzi looks an ideal player for Emery.

Marseille tend to bring players in with the view to cashing in on them a couple of years later, and while there obviously has to be some consistency in terms of who’s in their squad in order to keep them competitive in the race for Champions League qualification, there is a feeling that Guendouzi has slightly outgrown his surroundings at the Stade Velodrome. I can certainly see him moving on with Marseille’s blessing because he didn’t push to leave in the winter window, for a free in the region of £30-35million.

Moussa Dembele will be leaving Lyon and is admired in the UK

My information on Moussa Dembele is the same as Fabrizio Romano’s – he’ll definitely be leaving Lyon on a free transfer this summer. There’s a chance that perhaps a change in manager could alter that, but at this moment in time it seems that there’s no guarantee that Laurent Blanc will be moved on. There’s a bit of a power struggle at the top of Lyon and we’ll have to see how that plays out, but European football will likely be important and there’s no guarantee that Lyon will get there.

Dembele remains highly rated and well liked by clubs in the UK, having impressed in both England with Fulham and Scotland with Celtic. The interesting thing about Dembele is that a number of these clubs will have been aware that he was on the market in the winter window and none of them wanted to stump up a transfer fee for him, they preferred to wait for him to become a free agent.

I think Dembele’s priority will be to join a club offering European football, perhaps someone with the profile of an Aston Villa, someone returning to Europe, even though I’m not sure Villa will be moving for him. That’s the kind of club to look out for, and overall I’d be very surprised if he ended up turning around and signing a new contract with Lyon.

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Will Still has done a great job and will have options if he leaves Reims

I can’t speak highly enough of what Will Still has done since becoming Reims manager. He’s proven himself as a manager who is capable of getting a lot out of a limited group of players. He’s obviously well liked by his squad, which you can see in the way he conducts his training sessions, which is both fascinating and heart-warming at the same time. He’s very much a modern manager, but he’s also capable of being pragmatic and savvy with his tactics.

He’s definitely an interesting prospect for any clubs looking to change manager soon, so we’ll have to see if that leads him to the Premier League soon. He’s a known West Ham fan and has spoken about his desire of managing them in the future, so if David Moyes was moved on I think he’d be a very good candidate to be looked at by them. He’s got a strong link with them and I think it would be unwise for them to overlook that, assuming that they do find themselves in the market for a new head coach.

In terms of those fines Still was receiving for every Reims game he took charge of – I believe those actually stopped once he got a final date for his coaching badge exam. Obviously the fines for every match became quite a big story and caused a buzz on the internet, and with his knowledge and experience of playing Football Manager I think he started to get a bit fed up of not being taken more seriously. He’s a serious coach with real qualifications and he’s doing a great job.

Reims are a club that could easily be battling against relegation, but he’s really forged a team that’s better than the sum of its parts. It might be a bit early for him to move to the Premier League, but perhaps bigger Ligue 1 clubs and Belgian clubs (he was born and raised in Belgium) could be monitoring him, so I think he’ll have a nice array of choices if he is to leave Reims this summer.