This article was originally published on the Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Jonathan Johnson’s exclusive transfer articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io
PSG made significant effort to beat Chelsea to Brazilian wonderkid
There was a time when PSG were looking at Estevao Willian, who is impressing with Palmeiras ahead of a keenly anticipated move to Chelsea next year. PSG monitored the Brazilian youngster very closely, as well as other players, having of course signed both Lucas Beraldo and Gabriel Moscardo last winter.
Estevao, or ‘Messinho’ as he’s sometimes known, was another player PSG were looking at, and they made an attempt to sign him. PSG tried to do a deal with Palmeiras, but couldn’t quite come to an agreement, and for that reason they decided to focus on Beraldo and Moscardo instead.
Although Estevao is a highly regarded talent, it wasn’t really a position that PSG desperately needed to strengthen at that time, and so they focused on defence and midfield. Beraldo can play centre-back or left-back, so his versatility is useful for PSG, while Moscardo was also earning rave reviews while PSG needed an extra body in central midfield. Obviously now PSG also have Joao Neves in that position, while Moscardo has gone out on loan to Rennes for this season.
Another key reason PSG ended up dropping out of the Estevao deal was that Luis Campos, when he was in Brazil, felt they were being priced out of the move by Palmeiras. So instead he focused on getting the deals done for Beraldo and Moscardo, even though there was some pretty significant competition for those two as well. Ultimately, PSG didn’t try to go back in for Estevao once those other two deals were tied up.
So when you look at how it all played out, it’s not too surprising that PSG placed a higher emphasis on the other two Brazilian players they signed, but that’s not to say that they didn’t make a significant effort to sign Estevao, as they got to the stage when they were negotiating a pretty substantial transfer fee.
Joshua Kimmich to PSG transfer would likely hinge on key condition
PSG have looked at Joshua Kimmich in the past. They’ve been attentive to his situation at Bayern Munich as he’s close now to the end of his contract, and my understanding is that his versatility is something that appeals to PSG – he obviously has quality in a central midfield position, but also as a makeshift right-back of very high quality.
So, PSG have checked in on his situation from time to time, but, honestly, I don’t think now that the situation is as appealing. That could possibly change if his contract does run down and the deal is too good to turn down, or if PSG receive a good offer for one of their other current central midfielders, maybe then Kimmich could become of interest again.
While I’m sure Luis Enrique could view Kimmich as a good fit for his style of play, it remains the case that PSG are pretty well stocked in that position now, so there’s not as strong a case for going for the Germany international at this moment in time. At right-back, it could be a separate discussion, though for the moment there is a desire to keep Achraf Hakimi at the club.
What I don’t see happening, however, is PSG bringing Kimmich in on the understanding that he would just be a rotation player. Kimmich himself would expect to be a starter for most of the big games, but I find it difficult to see that happening with PSG given how stacked they are in the middle of the park.
There would surely have to be an outgoing first, so whether that’s someone like Fabian Ruiz, we’ll have to wait and see, but I think Enrique is very happy with his midfield options, so I don’t think PSG will be doing too much on this, but will continue to keep an eye on the situation from afar.
Adrien Rabiot’s move to Marseille is a big boost for French football
Adrien Rabiot is now officially a Marseille player in a move that came as quite a big surprise. It seemed for much of the summer like Rabiot would go for one of the really big clubs, while Saudi clubs also tried throwing a lot of money at him, though it didn’t work.
So for Rabiot to join OM, I think that’s a pretty big coup for the club, and a very interesting move for the player. I don’t think there were many people expecting someone to cross the PSG-Marseille divide as quickly as it happened, so I think that’s left some people in the industry surprised.
There are elements of it that make sense for Rabiot, as this allows him to keep himself close to France ahead of the 2026 World Cup cycle, but also joining a club where there is a very clear challenge, and an ambitious project underway since the appointment of Roberto de Zerbi and other high-profile signings. It’s a fresh start under De Zerbi, and I think an exciting time to be joining Marseille.
In terms of the rivalry with PSG, one of Rabiot’s former clubs, I think this move really adds some spice and creates a lot of extra intrigue around that match. It will be interesting to see the dynamic between Rabiot and the PSG fans, especially as he was a homegrown player there and will now be seen as having turned his back on everything.
It’s a big boost for Marseille, and when you look at the team De Zerbi has assembled, on paper, it looks full of talent and like a side that could really give PSG a run for their money in terms of the Ligue 1 title. It’s already looking very interesting at the top of the table, and Le Classique is homing into view as well in the next month or so, so I think it’s going to be an important few weeks. Rabiot wasn’t involved over the weekend against Lyon, but it will be interesting to see what impact he can make once he gets on the pitch, and it could even be that one of his first appearances will come against PSG.
Overall I think this could prove to be a really interesting signing that helps add some spark to a fixture and a rivalry that’s been missing for a while now.
Wesley Fofana transfer talks show Marseille’s ambition
It was interesting to find out that Marseille targeted Wesley Fofana this summer, with the Chelsea defender recently opening up about their approach. It’s obvious Marseille are really looking for a higher calibre of player than they’ve been able to sign in the past, and this would certainly have been a statement signing.
I rate Fofana highly, and I think the fact that his future was in any doubt at all was largely down to the situation at Chelsea this summer, where there was a clear plan to offload a few players, and cash in on some names who hadn’t been able to feature for them as heavily as they would have liked.
Obviously with Fofana, the reason for that is the injuries he’s suffered, and I think that if he continues to struggle with his fitness, or if he perhaps can’t quite get back to the form he showed before these problems, then there’s always going to be the possibility that a club in Ligue 1 could bring him back to France. It could be that he’d view that as a good option for him to play more regularly and get back into the conversation for the French national team.
Still, I think this remains a Chelsea getting settled to life under a new manager in Enzo Maresca, so there will surely be time for Fofana to try to establish himself. Earlier in the summer, however, there perhaps wasn’t that same certainty, and so it makes sense that Marseille felt it was an avenue worth exploring. We saw, after all, big names like Raheem Sterling being told just before the end of the window that they weren’t in Maresca’s plans, so I understand Fofana was one of a number of Chelsea players who discussed moves.
Who knows what will happen next? Maybe after some time working together, Fofana and Maresca will decide it’s a good match, and they continue to pursue working together for the long term, or maybe a decision is made that Fofana is not quite what Maresca is looking for in his squad, and that interest gets revisited.
Overall, though, I’m not surprised OM looked at this in what was an ambitious summer for them, and one that I think neutrals should be excited about it in terms of what it means for French football. Maybe it’s a bit of a preview, if you like, of a big name like Fofana or perhaps someone else, looking to join a French club in the near future.