Diaz PSG, Locko Chelsea, Martial exit

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There’s been some recent speculation about Luis Diaz being a target for Paris Saint-Germain and my understanding is that the Liverpool forward is definitely a player that PSG are looking at as part of a wider shortlist of potential players to bring in this summer.

Once they have the freedom to move without Kylian Mbappe being on their books any longer, then they will lower their wage bill and we’ll see how they move to replace Mbappe in attack. My understanding for now is that it’s not necessarily the case that Diaz is a priority target, but it’s more that they’re preparing for the possibility of looking at a player like him – he’s not the only player of that position or profile that they’re considering, but one of many they’re looking at.

You could perhaps argue, being a Liverpool player, that Diaz is one of the higher profile names on PSG’s list, but if I’m honest I wouldn’t be so sure that that position will be a top priority for PSG this summer. I think they’ll look at other positions, most notably central defence and also defensive midfield.

So names like Leny Yoro and Bruno Guimaraes are probably names to look out for that will be higher up on PSG’s list, but, for sure, as part of that there could also be Diaz as one of the names on a wider list for this summer.

On Yoro, there’s been some recent speculation that Yoro favours Real Madrid over PSG as his next club, but that’s not necessarily my understanding. What is absolutely certain, though, is that both clubs are competing for his signature.

I think PSG feel they have a strong case to him that his development will be best served by staying in France for a bit longer, giving him more top-level experience, as well as European experience. This could be the best step for Yoro before potentially making a leap to a club like Real Madrid later.

There have been some parallels drawn between Yoro and Raphael Varane. Obviously Varane came from Lens and made the jump to Real Madrid early, becoming a key player there for the best part of a decade or more. That also appeals to Yoro in terms of what might be the best move for him going forward.

Still, developmentally, I think PSG have a stronger case now…