Pascal Dupraz, the coach of AS Saint-Etienne, once again mentioned the winter transfer window of the Foréz club, 20th in Ligue 1.
In an interview given to the regional daily Progress, Claude Puel’s successor has warned that the Greens still want to recruit for three positions. “We will be able to present a more offensive team when we have found everyone and we can recruit. I was clear: we want a central defender, a striker and a side. But if we take a right side, it’s not because Yvann (Maçon) is not at the level. This is to make the group even more homogeneous, to make it even more efficient. He is underperforming, he will have to perform and even outperform because we dawdled. »
In the axis, Saint-Etienne should attach the services of Eliaquim Mangala. For now, attacking midfielder Bakary Sako (free), winger Sada Thioub and goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni have landed on the side of Geoffroy-Guichard, both on loan from Angers.
In the other direction of traffic, the 59-year-old coach wants his workforce to be slimmed down. “The idea is to work with a smaller group that prepares for the game ahead. Once the match is over, we make the observations and if we have to modulate the group according to performance, injuries, suspensions, then we will do it. But we need to train more tightly with 20 to 22 players. » On Tuesday, the club announced the departure of Uruguayan striker Ignacio Ramirez.