They searched right down to the wire
Nasser al-Khelaifi, Luis Campos, Luis Enrique. All three stayed on alert until the window shut. They wanted one last addition. They never found it.
According to L’Equipe, Paris kept one eye on the market but never landed on the right fit. And if someone had arrived in the final hours, it would not have been a forward.
The exits had still left a hole up front. Bradley Barcola had gone to Liverpool for 145 million euros, bonuses included. Ibrahim Mbaye left for Aston Villa for 55 million. Enough to raise a few questions about the attack.
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Two files already on the desk
Paris also spent the summer looking at right-footed centre-backs. Several options were studied, none got over the line. The asking prices were judged too high, and some targets did not want to open the door.
So two jobs have been kicked down the road to winter. Another forward. A right-footed centre-back. Both could be dusted off in January.
The club preferred to do nothing rather than rush. At the Parc, that counts as a small plot twist.
183 million in the right direction
The real number from Paris’ summer is elsewhere. Eleven arrivals, including loan returns. The same number of departures, with Renato Sanches’ contract also terminated. And above all, close to 350 million euros in sales against 152 million in purchases, before bonuses.
That leaves a positive balance of around 183 million. Unheard of since QSI arrived in 2011.
Behind the shift is a clear plan. Sign players aged 16 to 25 who can grow in value. Stop holding on to those who want out. Balance the books before dreaming big.
What happens on the pitch is another matter. A tidy spreadsheet doesn’t win the Champions League.
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