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Swept by Lyon in the derby on Sunday evening (0-5), Saint-Etienne is betting on the last week of the transfer window to revive.
Claude Puel’s goal has been straightforward since the start of January, namely to recruit a central striker and a central defender. In his sweetest dreams, the ASSE manager would have liked to welcome William Saliba on loan and Mostafa Mohamed from Egyptian club Zamalek. Nevertheless, Arsenal’s central defender has been loaned to OGC Nice while the 25-year-old scorer is still not an ASSE player due to more complicated negotiations than ever between the Greens’ management and that of Zamalek. There are only six days left to strengthen, and time is running out for Saint-Etienne who should press the mushroom at the end of the transfer window according to L’Equipe.
Puel now wants confirmed players
Claude Puel made it clear to his management that he wanted to be able to rely on confirmed players like Mbaye Niang, a track that belongs to the past but which fits with what the ASSE coach wants this winter. After recruiting inexperienced players like Maçon, Aouchiche, Neyou or Krasso, the ex-manager of Leicester wants players accustomed to high-level games, or even Ligue 1. He could thus take advantage of the clearance of big clubs in the last straight line of the transfer window to recruit a number nine and a central defender. It remains to be seen what are the financial means of Saint-Etienne, whose presidents Roland Romeyer and Bernard Caïazzo were unable to put 5 ME on the table to recruit Mostafa Mohamed from Zamalek despite very advanced negotiations with the Egyptian club.