PSG Transfer News Roundup: Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe recall their favourite moments from last season; Parisians make U-turn on Zinedine Zidane, and more - June 11, 2022
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) wil look to upgrade their squad this summer after struggling to live up to expectations last season.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino’s wards won the league, but their UEFA Champions League run ended against eventual champions Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have revealed their favourite moments from last season. Elsewhere, the Parisians have made a U-turn on appointing Zinedine Zidane as their next manager.
On that note, here's a look at the key PSG transfer stories as on June 11, 2022:
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe recall their favourite moments from last season
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have revealed their favourite moments from the recently concluded season. The two superstars were among the thick of things as the Parisians won the Ligue 1 title - their eighth in ten years.
Speaking to the club’s website, Mbappe said that early momentum helped the Parisians take a steady lead in the race for the league.
"Those matches that we won late on, especially at the start of the season, stand out for me. It enabled us to quickly pull clear of the field. In spite of the lack of time we had had to build understanding with each other due to the numerous international players in the squad, we managed to win quite a few games in added time,” said Mbappe.
He added:
"We managed to create something. We hadn't been in that position before, and that's what allowed us to quickly put ourselves out of reach in the league."
Meanwhile, Messi’s time at the Parc des Princes has hardly been rosy.
The Argentinean joined PSG from Barcelona last summer but failed to assert his dominance, scoring just 11 times across competitions. Nevertheless, the 34-year-old still had a fruitful year, helping his team to the league title.
Speaking to the club’s media, Messi said his first year in Paris was an emotional one.
“I experienced a number of firsts with Paris. I remember my first appearance at Reims. There was also my first game at the Parc des Princes, which was also quite something. And my maiden league goal against Nantes. I also got to know the city of Paris. I've had a first year with a lot of emotions in it,” said Messi.
Mbappe chimed in, expressing delight at creating history with the Ligue 1 champions.
"We've always said we want to be part of Paris Saint-Germain's history, and now we're also part of the French top flight's history. No one has won more titles than us. We're happy with this new achievement. It's an important moment in Paris Saint-Germain's history,” said Mbappe.
PSG make U-turn on Zinedine Zidane
PSG have ended their interest in Zinedine Zidane.
According to The Mirror via Foot Mercato, new sporting director Luis Campos is ready to abandon a move for the Frenchman.
Zidane has been a long-term managerial target for the Parisians. Instead, Campos wants to hand over the charge of the first team to Christophe Galtier.
Current manager Mauricio Pochettino is likely to get the sack in the coming days after failing to secure the UEFA Champions League title.
It was previously reported that Zidane would take the Argentinean’s place at the Parc des Princes.
However, it now appears that the club have moved on from the Frenchman and prefer to appoint Galtier as Pochettino’s successor.
Parisians interested in Gianluca Scamacca
PSG are interested in Gianluca Scamacca, according to PSG Talk via La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Sassuolo striker has been identified as a vital addition to the team by new sporting director Luis Campos.
The Parisians are willing to offer €40 million to secure the services of the Italian. Scamacca scored 16 times in 38 appearances for the Serie A team last season.
The Parisians want a new striker to share the goalscoring load with Kylian Mbappe. The club are convinced that Scamacca would be a future superstar and are ready to go all out for him this summer.