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Five new faces to watch in Ligue 1 this season
PARIS, Aug 6, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Champions Paris Saint-Germain are clear
favourites to lift the French title for a seventh time in eight seasons after
their nearest rivals Lille and Lyon sold key players over the summer.
While Thomas Tuchel’s men have strengthened in midfield and kept hold of
Neymar, Lille saw leading scorer Nicolas Pepe depart for Arsenal with Nabil
Fekir, Ferland Mendy and Tanguy Ndombele leaving Lyon for fresh challenges
abroad.
AFP Sport takes a look at five new faces to watch in Ligue 1 for the 2019-
20 campaign:
Idrissa Gueye
The Senegalese international returned to France last week after PSG
stumped up a reported 32 million euros ($35.5 million) to bolster their
midfield, the area most in need of reinforcement. Gueye, 29, spent seven
years with Lille before moving to England in 2015, first with Aston Villa and
then Everton.
The Toffees rejected a January bid for the midfielder last season but his
belated arrival in the French capital represents a shrewd signing for Tuchel.
Gueye shone as Senegal reached the Africa Cup of Nations final, serving as
the crucial link between defence and attack, and PSG will hope his acclaimed
ball-winning ability will complement a team overflowing with attacking
options.
The club also snapped up the combative Ander Herrera on a free transfer
from Manchester United and Spanish midfielder Pablo Sarabia, who scored 23
goals in 52 games last season for Sevilla.
Abdou Diallo
The signing of France under-21 international defender Abdou Diallo from
Borussia Dortmund suggests Thiago Silva’s time at the club is nearing an end.
Diallo, 23, will be reunited with Kylian Mbappe at PSG, having made a
handful of appearances during Monaco’s title-winning season in 2016-17.
Two successful years in Germany followed, with Mainz and Borussia
Dortmund, where he continued his progression and displayed his versatility
out on the left flank.
Mats Hummels’ return to Dortmund made Diallo expendable and although he
faces competition from Silva, Presnel Kimpembe, Marquinhos and Thilo Kehrer,
he represents a long-term investment at Parc des Princes having signed a
five-year deal.
Sylvinho
The former Barcelona and Arsenal full-back was hand-picked as Lyon boss by
compatriot Juninho, a former club star who is the new sporting director of
the seven-time French champions.
Sylvinho, 45, was working as right-hand man to Brazil coach Tite and had
been preparing a team for the 2020 Olympics in Japan.
He will take over a Lyon side that finished third and earned a spot in the
Champions League, but one subject to considerable transformation after the
big-money sales of Mendy and Ndombele, as well as Fekir’s surprising move to
Real Betis.
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FBL-FRA-LIGUE1-NEWCOMERS-2-LAST Lyon splashed out on Danish centre-back
Joachim Andersen, whose fee could rise to a club record 30 million euros,
after luring Brazilian midfielder Thiago Mendes from Lille for 26.5 million
euros.
Sylvinho has been set the target of another top-three finish by club
president Jean-Michel Aulas.
Andre Villas-Boas
The former protege of Jose Mourinho has been tasked with reviving fallen
French giants Marseille.
The 1993 European champions turned to former Chelsea, Tottenham, Porto and
Zenit St Petersburg coach Villas-Boas after the club missed out on
continental football having finished fifth under Rudi Garcia.
The Portuguese had been out of the game for 18 months and took part in
last year’s Dakar Rally.
He rose to prominence at Porto, initially serving as Mourinho’s assistant
before becoming the youngest coach to win a UEFA competition, lifting the
Europa League trophy as his team completed a treble in 2010-11.
“I will lay down my life to get Marseille back to their best level. I will
let the results do the talking but I’m confident because this team is capable
of it,” Villas-Boas, 41, said at his Marseille unveiling.
Hwang Ui-Jo
The forward will become the first South Korean to play for Bordeaux after
penning a four-year contract with the Girondins.
Hwang started out with Seongnam, his country’s most successful club,
before two years with Japan’s Gamba Osaka.
The 26-year-old was voted the best South Korean player last season by the
national football federation.
Hwang joins countryman and Reims striker Suk Hyun-Jun in Ligue 1, and
Bordeaux coach Paulo Sousa hopes his new signing will bring added quality to
a team “in a rebuilding year” following a 14th-place finish last season.
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