Rafael Leão no longer priority for PSG as they develop post-Mbappé plan

According to RMC Sport, Rafael Leão (24) is no longer the priority for Paris Saint-Germain this summer. 

The club are known to appreciate Leão and would have the means to meet the reported release clause of €175 million with the departure of Kylian Mbappé’s (25) expensive contract being lifted from the books. 

However, the club are not keen on replacing the outgoing forward with a left winger as they believe that Bradley Barcola (21) can carry on his incredible progress this season and stunting that development would only be counterintuitive to their long-term plans. 

PSG would instead prefer to strengthen across the team and have raised a series of targets although each comes with an obstacle. 

PSG’s plan of a forward, a midfielder, and a defender 

The club remain interested in Victor Osimhen (25) but after spending €170 million on Randal Kolo Muani (25) and Gonçalo Ramos (22), over the summer they would need one of the two forwards to be sold before spending upwards of €130 million on trying to buy the Napoli star. 

It’s thought that Les Parisiens would like to sign a defensive midfielder, with a high technical and physical profile, although no name has yet been identified to fill that role. However, the priority in that position remains convincing Warren Zaïre-Emery (17) to sign an extension with the club. 

In defence, Leny Yoro (18) remains the key target for the club and in the summer he will likely only have a year remaining on his contract, as he continues to refuse Lille’s offer of an extension. The centre-back has continued his impressive development at Lille OSC and a monumental bidding war is sure to begin over the summer as all the elite clubs in Europe try to secure the signature of the next great defender. 

GFFN | Nick Hartland