As is customary, there was a flurry of action just before the transfer window slammed shut at midnight on Tuesday, with PSG landing a left-back, Rennes pinching Gaëtan Laborde from Montpellier and Arnaud Kalimuendo returning to Lens for another season-long loan from PSG.
Nuno Mendes, the latest big move for PSG
Paris Saint-Germain has the counterpart of Achraf Hakimi on the left. At the very end of the summer transfer window, the capital club securedthe arrival of a new left-back: Nuno Mendes. The Portuguese is on loan to the French giants with an option to buy.
At only 19 years of age, he was a revelation for Sporting CP as they claimed the Portuguese title last season. Already an international with the Seleçao (five caps), the young defender was part of his country's Euro 2020 adventure but had no game time during the competition due to injury.
Presented as a phenomenon in Portugal, Nuno Mendes showed all his technical qualities and speed last season in his first full campaign as a professional, impressing plenty of European scouts. So, despite its last-minute status, his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain is a big one, and it sets him up to compete with Juan Bernat, Abdou Diallo and Layvin Kurzawa for a starting place on the left side of the Parisian defense.
Rennes sign Gaëtan Laborde
Laborde is seventh recruit in an ambitious window from Stade Rennais. After a very good start to the season (three goals in four matches), Gaëtan Laborde left Montpellier Hérault SC for the Breton club who will contest the Europa League Conference this season. The 27-year-old striker is now tied to Les Rouge et Noir until 2025.
Alongside Serhou Guirassy and Martin Terrier, SRFC now have a third striker capable of scoring plenty of goals. Last season, the former Bordeaux player notched personal-best Ligue 1 Uber Eats tally of 16 goals and seven assists in 38 appearances. With Loïc Badé, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Birger Meling, Baptiste Santamaria, Lovro Majer, Dogan Alemdar and now Laborde, Stade Rennais have undoubtedly had one of the most promising recruitment campaigns in France this summer.
Valère Germain arrives at Montpellier
Montpellier Hérault SC has its new number 9. Without Andy Delort, who left last Saturday to OGC Nice, and the abovementioned departure of Laborde, MHSC signed Valère Germain on the final night of the window, without specifying the duration of his commitment. The former Monegasque had been a free agent since the end of his contract at Olympique de Marseille.
"It had already been a few years that we turned around but it had never been done," said the MHSC president Laurent Nicollin in a press release. "I hope he will be as happy on the field as he was when he signed his contract and that he will bring joy to the fans at the Mosson."
Geubbels makes Nantes switch
A new striker has joined FC Nantes. A product of the OL youth system and then recruited by AS Monaco in July 2018, Willem Geubbels (20) has been loaned by Monaco to Nantes for the 2021-22 season. This loan includes an option to buy, as confirmed by FCN. Often injured during his time in the principality, the striker, a former Next Big Thing from the OL youth academy, is counting on this new experience to launch his young career.
Two recruits in Bordeaux
This is a first for the Girondins de Bordeaux: with two and a half hours to go in the summer transfer window, Bordeaux signed the club's first-ever Norwegian. Stian Gregersen, a 26-year-old international, has signed until 2025 with the club. This solid central defender (1.91 m) signs from homeland club Molde.
"Stian is a player who has a very interesting profile," said Bordeaux technical director Admar Lopes. "He is a modern defender who will adapt very quickly to our championship. We are very proud to be able to recruit such a defender."
A few moments later, FCGB announced a double move with AC Milan: Yacine Adli was sold to the Rossoneri but loaned back to the Girondins for the rest of the 2021-22 season.
At the very end of the window, the Girondins then made their final move of the summer: Javairô Dilrosun, a 23-year-old winger, has been loaned to the club by Hertha Berlin, with an option to buy. The talented Dutchman has played 59 games (six goals and eight assists) in four seasons with the Berlin club in the Bundesliga.
A new left-back at LOSC
Further north, LOSC also struck in the last hours of the mercato. With busy weeks ahead with the Ligue 1 Uber Eats and the Champions League, the Lille-based club have chosen to strengthen the left side of defence with Gabriel Gudmundsson, a potent counter-attacker and Sweden U21 international who signed a five-year deal from FC Groningen.
Frédéric Guilbert returns to Strasbourg
Frederic Guilbert is back at RC Strasbourg Alsace. Already on loan to the Alsatian club from January to May 2021, the 26-year-old full-back is once again on loan from Aston Villa until the end of the season. This news should be welcomed by Strasbourg fans, as the defender proved convincing in his six months on the right side of defence (one goal and four assists in 13 games).
Kalimuendo back at Lens
After spending last season on loan from PSG to RC Lens, Arnaud Kalimuendo is doing it all again. The 19-year-old striker is on loan for one season without an option to buy. A starter with the capital club in the Trophée des Champions, he has made two Ligue 1 Uber Eats appearances off the bench this season. The France U21 international scored an impressive seven goals in 29 league games with Lens last season.
Agoumé and Del Castillo to Brest
A product of the renowned Sochaux youth academy, Lucien Agoumé is set to make his Ligue 1 Uber Eats debut on loan to Stade Brestois 29, without option to buy. The 19-year-old defensive midfielder, who has been on the books at Inter since the summer of 2019, will be on a second successive loan, having played 13 times with Spezia in the Italian championship last season.
Later, at the end of the evening, it ws a player with a lot more Ligue 1 Uber Eats experience who arrived to bolster the SB29 squad: Romain Del Castillo. The former Rennes has signed on in Brittany for the next three seasons. A product of the OL youth system, the 25-year-old attacking midfielder had been Stade Rennais FC man since the summer of 2018.
Meanwhile Stade de Reims bagged defensive midfielder Azor Matusiwa. Th 23-year-old Dutchman has been playing in Groningen since the summer of 2019, earning the captain's armband last season. An Ajax youth academy graduate, he arrives in France with 65 Eredivisie matches under his belt - not to mention having taken part in the U21 Euro with the Netherlands last spring. This powerful midfielder with a huge workmate has signed for five years with the Champagne club.
First recruit for Les Verts
AS Saint-Etienne have a new striker. Les Verts waited until midnight to make their first and only recruit of the summer official. Uruguayan forward Ignacio Ramirez (24 years) arrives in Le Forez on loan until June 2022, replacing the outgoing Charles Abi in the squad, having played his entire career thus far for Liverpool Fútbol Club of Montevideo He was called up by Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez at the beginning of June, but did not make his debut for the senior team.
Despite their very good start to the season - in third place with eight points from four games), Clermont Foot also decided to make moves in the final moments of the transfer window. The promoted club from Auvergne has agreed with FC Lorient for the free loan of striker Pierre-Yves Hamel, which not include an option to buy. The 27-year-old player will be looking to up his playing time under Pascal Gastien.
Movement in Troyes
An American international has signed for ESTAC! Central defender Erik Palmer-Brown has been loaned for one season by Manchester City. Aged 24, he had been on loan since the to Austria Vienna summer of 2019 after previous loans to Kortrijk and Breda in the Netherlands. Erik Palmer-Brown has two caps with the United States and was last called up in March.
Another Citizen was also loaned to Troyes late in the piece: Patrick Roberts, a 24-year-old English attacking midfielder. Last year, he played six months at Middlesbrough before finishing the season at Derby County. Last but not least, Troyes concluded a deal for Philippe Sandler right on the gong. The 24-year-old Dutch central defender is also on a season-long loan from Manchester City.
