Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Leandro Paredes is reportedly set to join Galatasaray this summer.
Paredes, 29, joined the Parisians from Zenit Saint-Petersburg in 2019. He has made 117 appearances for the French club, scoring three goals and providing 10 assists. However, he has fallen down the pecking order and spent last season on loan at Juventus.
As per Turkish journalist Esat Soydabircan, Paredes is set to join Galatasaray for a fee of €6 million. He will sign a three-year contract with the club with an option to extend it by one year. The Argentine will receive a salary of €2.75 million per year plus bonuses.
Paredes had a decent 2022-23 season for club and country. On loan at Juventus from PSG, he made 39 appearances across competitions, scoring one goal and providing two assists. He started just 14 of those games though.
The midfielder also helped Argentina win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, making five appearances and providing one assist.
Paredes will be joined by Mauro Icardi at Galatasaray as the two compatriots are set to complete their transfer from PSG this summer. Icardi will join the Turkish side for €10 million (as per Fabrizio Romano).
Paredes and Icardi shared the pitch 53 times for club and country and will now combine at Galatasaray.
Kylian Mbappe believes playing for PSG makes people ‘trivialise’ his performances
Kylian Mbappe is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world at the moment. The 24-year-old has won six Ligue 1 titles and one FIFA World Cup trophy, among other honors.
He is PSG’s all-time top scorer with 212 goals in 260 games. He has also scored 40 goals in 70 games for France. However, due to Ligue 1’s perceived lack of competitiveness, Mbappe’s performances are sometimes undervalued by fans and pundits.
In a recent interview with France Football, Mbappe shared his thoughts on this, saying:
“Do people trivialise my performance? Yes, but at the same time, I don’t blame them. In France, they saw me grow up, they see me all the time, at PSG every weekend or in the national team. And I’ve been scoring a lot for years. So, for people, it becomes normal. I never complained that my performances were trivialised…”
He added:
“We are in a consumer society, where ‘it’s good, but do it again’. And the fact that I’m right next door, in Paris… I think playing at PSG doesn’t help much because it’s a divisive team, a divisive club. So, of course it attracts gossip but it doesn’t bother me because I know what I’m doing and how I do it.”
Mbappe recently confirmed that he won’t extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain beyond 2024. He has been linked with a move away this summer, with Real Madrid interested in signing him.
