Paris St Germain (PSG) further strengthened their midfield by swooping for Newcastle United’s French international Yohan Cabaye yesterday. Cabaye, who has won 26 caps, has signed for three and a half, the French champions said in a statement.
No fee was disclosed but media reports suggested it could be up to 25 million euros ($34.2 million), including adds-on. “The transfer of Yohan Cabaye is further proof of the club’s capacity to attract the best French and foreign players,” PSG chairman Nasser al-Khelaifi said. The 28-year-old joined Newcastle from Lille in 2011 and scored 18 goals in 93 appearances for the Premier League club. “I was won over by the ambitious project ... and I can’t wait to join this exceptional squad,” Cabaye said. He made his France debut in 2010 under Laurent Blanc who now coaches PSG. Cabaye was instrumental in the 3-0 home playoff victory over Ukraine in November that earned Les Bleus a place at this year’s World Cup in Brazil. He is the latest addition to a strong PSG midfield that features Italy pair Marco Verratti and Thiago Motta and France international Blaise Matuidi.
The French champions had limited choices to strengthen their midfield as they were looking for a player who could play in the Champions League. PSG face Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 next month. “We chose Cabaye for three reasons,” club president Nasser al-Khelaifi told L’Equipe in an interview published yesterday. “1. He’s a very good player 2. I have never met him but I’ve been told he is a nice chap. 3. He is French and it is very important for us to recruit French players, to bring them back to the French league.”
Cabaye is likely to make his debut next week when PSG travel to Nantes in a League Cup semi-final on Tuesday.
PSG Foundation also raises 190,000 euros at auction
Items including Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s boots were auctioned off for 191,800 euros ($262,440) by the Foundation on Tuesday night. The Foundation helps sick children and has been running since 2000. Ibrahimovic’s boots, with which he netted a brace against Marseille last season, fetched 22,000 euros while one punter forked out 7,000 euros to play a game of golf with PSG coach Laurent Blanc. But the biggest single bid was for the right to give the first blow of the whistle to begin a match at the Parc des Princes, fetching 24,000 euros.