Paris Saint-Germain newly appointed coach Laurent Blanc looks at his players during a training session in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, outside Paris yesterday. (AFP)
Reuters/Paris
Paris St Germain (PSG) coach Laurent Blanc would be delighted if Uruguay international Edinson Cavani joined the French champions as they seek a defender, midfielder and striker.
Napoli’s Cavani, top scorer in Serie A last season, has been linked to a host of top European clubs with local media reporting that Qatari-backed PSG have made an offer of up to 63 million euros ($82.12 million) for the 26-year-old.
“I love this player,” Blanc told a news conference yesterday. “I have seen him play several times with Uruguay and Napoli. I would be very happy should he be in the PSG squad next season.” Former France coach Blanc, who joined PSG last week to replace Carlo Ancelotti, wants to strengthen the team having been asked to do better than last season in Europe.
Under Ancelotti, who left to take charge of Real Madrid, PSG won their first domestic title since 1994 and reached the Champions League quarter-finals where they went out on away goals to Barcelona after two draws. Blanc said he wanted to bring in a left back, with former Barca defender Eric Abidal and Lille’s French prospect Lucas Digne topping the wish list.
“It’s hard not to like Eric Abidal. But we have to talk about it with the president and (sporting director) Leonardo. I am, we are, interested in both players,” he said. “The midfield will also be strengthened because there will definitely be some departures,” added Blanc. The new coach, who met some of the players for the first time on Monday, also denied media reports that Brazil centre back Thiago Silva was willing to leave the club.
“I talked to him on the phone yesterday and I can tell you that he will a PSG player next season,” Blanc said. “We are preparing a specific training programme for him. I had the feeling that he was very focused on next season.”
Blanc took over at the Qatari-owned French champions last month when Carlo Ancelotti moved to Real Madrid to replace Chelsea-bound Jose Mourinho. The former Bordeaux and France manager spelled out his and the club owners’ objectives after holding a training session, the 47-year-old elling reporters: “The aim is to do as well as last year, if not better.
“This is an ambitious but logical objective, logical because we are in the process of progressing.” As well as claiming the French league title PSG made it through to the Champions League quarter-finals where they came unstuck against Barcelona.
Today, Blanc’s squad leave for a one week pre-season training camp in Austria.