PSG to ‘put SEVEN stars up for sale this January’ as Mauricio Pochettino looks to trim his bloated squad… and Mauro Icardi ‘is on the chopping block with French side slapping £42m price tag on the unsettled striker’
- Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly put seven players up for sale this January
- Mauricio Pochettino is understood to want to trim his bloated squad of stars
- Mauro Icardi, Rafinha and Layvin Kurzawa are said to be in the shop window
- Icardi, 28, has struggled to settle in Paris amid problems away from the pitch
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly looking to trim their squad this January transfer window, with as many as seven players – including Mauro Icardi – on the chopping block this winter.
Mauricio Pochettino has a large squad at his disposal in Paris, with 33 players at the club having recorded minutes for the star-studded first team.
The Argentine would like to work with fewer players on a daily basis and L’Equipe reports that sporting director Leonardo and club chief Nasser Al Khelaïfi are willing to meet their boss’ demands in the next window.
Mauro Icardi is reportedly among seven PSG stars in the shop window this January market
PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino is looking to trim his bloated squad in the next transfer window
While reducing the size of the squad is the priority, the pair would also like to reduce the wage bill – meaning that around seven players could leave the club.
The most high-profile of which is Argentina striker Icardi. The 28-year-old has struggled to settle in Paris, with his well-publicized marriage crisis playing a role in his under-par displays on the pitch.
Icardi is Pochettino’s fifth choice forward behind Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Angel di Maria and the Parisians are reportedly looking to offload the 28-year-old for €50million (£42.7m).
Defender Abdou Diallo also faces an uncertain future at PSG having seen his game time limited due to the arrival of youngster Nuno Mendes.
Club chiefs Leonardo (centre) and Nasser Al Khelaïfi (right) are looking to shift some players
Rafinha (left) and Icardi (right) are among seven players that PSG are looking to offload
Central midfielder Rafinha has also played very little this season and could be moved on this January. Layvin Kurzawa signed a contract until 2024 during the pandemic, but the full-back faces little chance of featuring under Pochettino.
Former Fulham goalkeeper Sergio Rico, right back Colin Dagba and young midfielder Éric Junior Dina-Ebimbe are also expected to be put in the shop window by Leonardo and Al Khelaïfi.
The Parisians have recruited a number of high-profile names as they bid to finally get their hands on the Champions League. Messi, Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma all joined over the summer.
The French giants have booked their place in the last-16 of the competition after finishing second behind Manchester City in their group. They will hope to avoid the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the next round.