Paris FC are set to continue their transfer activity by signing a Ligue 1 breakthrough player: Pablo Pagis.
Paris FC are embarking on the second year of their ambitious new project. After a fine 11th-place finish in Ligue 1 last season, achieved thanks to an excellent end to the campaign under Antoine Kombouaré, the Paris-based club has set its sights even higher. With this in mind, Liam Rosenior has been appointed as the club’s manager to succeed Antoine Kombouaré, despite initial expectations that the latter would remain in charge.
On the playing front, several high-profile targets have been mentioned, such as the promising Belgian talent Nathan De Cat (17, Anderlecht), valued at around 25 million euros. In defence, Diego Coppola is expected to extend his stay at the club and sign a permanent contract following a successful loan spell in the second half of the season. There is talk of a transfer valued at 20 million euros (16 + 4 in bonuses) for the Italian international from Brighton. Parisian youth product Emmanuel Mbemba is also set to join the club, having been courted not only in France but also by major German and English clubs.
A transfer below the 20 million demanded by Féry
But the curtain has only just risen, as a new player is about to arrive in the capital. He is Pablo Pagis, Lorient’s left winger. Under contract with Les Merlus until 2027, the 23-year-old forward is now set to join Paris FC. According to L’Equipe, he is expected to bring in €15 million for the Breton club. On top of that, there should be €1.5 million in bonuses linked to qualifying for European competition.
This signing is something of a coup, as Pagis has established himself in recent seasons as one of the league’s most exciting players, and above all as a reliable performer. Last season, Mickaël’s son scored 10 goals and provided 5 assists in 28 Ligue 1 matches. His chairman, Loïc Féry, had left the door open for a move, but not for less than 20 million euros. It seems this deal will be close to that figure.
The DNCG has confirmed Girondins de Bordeaux’s relegation to Division 6!
The nightmare continues for Girondins de Bordeaux. With no financial solution in sight following the collapse of the takeover bid led by Sparta Capital, the club has seen the DNCG confirm its exclusion from national competitions.
The future of Girondins de Bordeaux looks bleaker than ever. A few days ago, the DNCG had already dealt a heavy blow by ordering the club’s administrative relegation to Régional 1, France’s sixth tier. This historic decision followed the club’s immense financial difficulties. Since then, hopes had rested on a potential takeover that would raise the funds needed to save Girondins. But in the last few hours, that final door has slammed shut once again with the withdrawal of Sparta Capital, the British investment fund owned by associates of Gérard Lopez, which was unable to raise the €10 million needed to finance the coming season.
Nevertheless, Girondins appeared before the DNCG’s appeals committee again on Wednesday. Gérard Lopez, the club’s chairman and owner, Arnaud Saint-André, the managing director, along with several lawyers and the administrator overseeing the continuation plan, were heard for just over an hour. As expected following the failure of the sale and Sparta Capital’s fundraising efforts, they were unable to provide the €9–10 million required to guarantee payment of arrears for the 2025–2026 season and the 2026–2027 budget.
Bordeaux will play in Division 6!
Unsurprisingly, the DNCG’s appeals committee therefore confirmed this afternoon that Girondins would be excluded from all national competitions. “The DNCG confirms and imposes a ban on the men’s first team from participating in national competitions following the 2025/2026 season,” states the DNCG’s press release. Bordeaux will therefore compete in Régional 1 next season – a staggering fall from grace for a club that was still playing in Ligue 1 just a few seasons ago and has spent the last two years in National 2. This decision brings the Aquitaine-based club even closer to a crisis unprecedented in its history and to compulsory liquidation.
However, there remains one last glimmer of hope. According to reports in *Sud Ouest*, Gérard Lopez, who no longer wishes to finance the club, presented a final option during the hearing: to launch a call for tenders to find a buyer capable of taking the reins of the Girondins, financing the club and guaranteeing the business continuity plan. The regional daily also reports that several expressions of interest have already been received. With this in mind, Gérard Lopez is expected to refer the matter to the CNOSF in order to buy time and attempt to finalise a sale before it is definitively too late.
