Struggling at Juventus this season, Loïs Openda is looking for a way out this summer. Having been left out of the Belgium squad, the striker needs a fresh start, and that could be at Monaco, who are interested in him. However, the principality club are not the only ones in the running.
What a long and tough season it has been for Loïs Openda. Signed permanently by Juventus this summer after his buy-out clause from RB Leipzig was triggered (€42.5m), the striker has failed to find his form. Just two goals scored in 34 matches across all competitions – one in Serie A and one in the Champions League – is inevitably too few, even though Jonathan David, his main rival, hasn’t exactly shone either (eight goals in 46 matches).
As a result, the Belgian has had to settle for a substitute role behind the Canadian for the most part. The arrival of Jérémie Boga this winter and Arkadiusz Milik’s return from injury have pushed him even further down the pecking order. Quite simply, in the last 11 Serie A matchdays, Openda has made just one appearance, playing a mere four minutes late in the game against Bologna. Rudi Garcia put the final nail in the coffin of his nightmare season with the announcement of his World Cup squad.
Monaco don’t have much in the way of resources
Despite his 33 caps (3 goals), the 26-year-old has not been selected for this summer’s squad, having been overtaken not only by Romelu Lukaku, of course, but also by Dodi Lukebakio and even Matías Fernández-Pardo. Openda will therefore have to come to terms with this setback and look ahead to get his career back on track. The former Lens player will not be staying at Juventus this season. Transfer talks have already begun, and a few foreign clubs are even showing interest in his services.
According to Sky Sport Italia, these include Eintracht Frankfurt and Nottingham Forest, as well as AS Monaco. All three clubs are reported to have offered a loan deal with an option to buy. With limited resources, particularly due to their failure to qualify for the Champions League, the Asémistes will likely have to sell key players such as Maghnes Akliouche, Folarin Balogun or Mika Biereth. Openda could be an ideal replacement. He is familiar with Ligue 1 and would be a less expensive option than others.
Agreement reached between Bayern Munich and a €60m signing
Even before the transfer window has opened, Bayern Munich are on the verge of completing another major deal.
Following their elimination by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Bayern Munich have vowed to come back stronger. The Allianz Arena side are well aware of their shortcomings and weaknesses. The club’s directors, Vincent Kompany and the coaching staff are keen to build a stronger and deeper squad. They also want to introduce more competition for certain positions. They have therefore decided to take action on several transfer targets.
This week, we revealed on our website that the Germans are set to finalise the signing of Ismael Saibari. The Moroccan is set to sign a contract until 2030. There were still a few details to iron out, but all systems are go for the Munich side. A Munich side that is not yet satisfied and has set its sights on another player. The player in question is Nathaniel Brown.
Bayern Munich are looking to make a big move
On Thursday, Sky Sports Germany revealed that Bayern Munich have reached a full verbal agreement with the versatile left-back from Eintracht Frankfurt. Aged 22, he has featured in 42 matches across all competitions this season, 38 of them as a starter. He has scored six goals and provided four assists. It is therefore no surprise that Julian Nagelsmann has called him up to represent Germany at the 2026 World Cup.
It is hardly surprising, either, that the top clubs are falling over themselves to sign him, given his qualities and potential. For a long time, Arsenal were in the lead in this race. But Bayern Munich have managed to poach him. The player wishes to join the Bavarians; he has already spoken with Vincent Kompany and is set to sign a contract running until 2031. The two clubs are in talks and have yet to reach an agreement over the player, who is valued at €60 million. This is the point that remains at the centre of discussions. Watch this space…
FC Nantes is in a real bind over its new manager
Having been relegated to Ligue 2, FC Nantes has still not found a new manager for the coming season. Time is running out, as the season kicks off in less than three weeks, but the setbacks keep piling up.
For the first time since 2012, FC Nantes will begin their season in Ligue 2. The club finished 17th in Ligue 1 three weeks ago at the end of yet another very difficult campaign, during which three managers (Luis Castro, Ahmed Kantari and then Vahid Halilhodžić) took turns on the bench. None of them managed to instil a fighting spirit or confidence in a squad that had quickly resigned itself to relegation. A lack of talent also played a part, particularly following a completely disastrous 2025 summer transfer window. This proved fatal for a club that had been teetering on the brink of relegation for many years already.
The outcome came as no surprise to anyone, and the focus must now shift to next season. A historic club like FC Nantes can aim for nothing less than an immediate return to the top flight. However, preparations for the new season need to be carried out calmly, and things are not really heading in that direction. It is once again the manager’s position that is at issue here. Vahid Halilhodžić had simply come in as a stopgap, a lover of the Canaries and eager to attempt the impossible to save his beloved club. With less than three weeks to go before the season resumes (on 20 June), the board has still not found a manager for its first team.
Pantaloni, Pélissier and Montanier have all turned it down
One might even say that the setbacks are piling up. First there was the lead pointing to Olivier Pantaloni, whose contract was not renewed at Lorient. Discussions took place between his entourage and the Kita family, before the Corsican put an end to the negotiations due to a lack of agreement on the length of the contract. The former Ajaccio player is among the names being linked with Lens and Auxerre in particular. At AJA, where Christophe Pélissier’s future is not quite as certain as it seems. His departure had initially been confirmed, due to an inability to work with sporting director David Wantier, but he is still in post. For the Nantes management, he ticks all the boxes.
According to reports in *Ouest-France*, the club is looking for a manager with experience in Ligue 2, who has previously guided teams to promotion to Ligue 1 and is capable of providing strong leadership in the dressing room. The problem is that, according to the same publication, Pélissier is not interested in the role. Nor is Philippe Montanier, who is coming off a frustrating spell at Saint-Étienne. Promotion was missed out in the play-off against Nice. Contacts had been made with him. A meeting even took place on Tuesday evening, but the former Rennes and Toulouse coach “no longer wishes to manage in Ligue 2”, a source close to the newspaper reveals.
The Der Zakarian option is on the wane
There is no shortage of candidates, however. The profile of Stéphane Gilli, whose name is being mentioned repeatedly in Angers – which confirmed Alexandre Dujeux’s departure last night – has not been considered. Yet he has been a free agent since leaving Paris FC, the club he led to Ligue 1 a year ago. Another coach has appeared on a shortlist: Michel Der Zakarian (a free agent), well known at La Beaujoire for having previously managed the first team twice (2007–2008 and 2012–2016), after a playing career. This time, it is chairman Kita who is reportedly not keen… And without a manager, the transfer window isn’t making much progress…
