Etienne Green (21) found himself between Paul Bernardoni (24) and Stefan Bajic (20) for coffee on January 6. This contact offered a frozen snapshot of the new hierarchy of AS Saint-Étienne goalkeepers. “I’m coming to be number 1”, said Bernardoni, immediately after his six-month loan from Angers formalized. Pascal Dupraz, his new coach at the Greens, confirmed: “I had measured the psychological impact of popular pressure for these young players (Bajic et Green). Paul is better able to handle it because he is more experienced. »
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This criterion appears to be the most plausible to explain the surprise arrival of the former goalkeeper from Nîmes, where Green revealed himself by stopping Ripart’s penalty in particular, nine months ago. It is just as much, in any case, as that referring to the lack of guarantees offered by Bajic, free in June after having demanded a salary multiplied by four during negotiations for his contract extension, last spring. And it is more so than Green’s injury. Victim of a sprain of the internal lateral ligament and an undisplaced crack in the left elbow in Reims (0-2, December 11), the latter will be operational again from next week.
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So that the value of Green does not fall, one of the solutions is to sell it this winter
The fact that the Saint-Etienne leaders immediately sought to replace him with an experienced goalkeeper – Mandanda (OM), Rico (Paris-SG), Tatarusanu (AC Milan)… – proves their concern to favor the short term and the sporting (maintaining), in the medium term and financially.
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In addition to raising the question of the interest of letting Jessy Moulin go free to Troyes this summer, this choice does not appear without risk, for the finances of the club. By June 30, and in accordance with the commitments made to the DNCG, ASSE will have to sell for €20 million. However, in a workforce with seventeen players coming to the end of their contract, Green (bound until 2025) seems to be, with midfielder Lucas Gourna-Douath (18, 2025), the most bankable.
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By opting for English sporting nationality, he not only allowed Bajic to reintegrate the France Espoirs team indirectly. Above all, it has increased its market value. Especially in the Premier League. It is now estimated, like that of Gourna-Douath, at €10 million. If he continues to play. Obviously, that will no longer be the case. The solution would be to sell it from this winter transfer window. To date, ASSE has not received a concrete offer. And Green does not want to leave his heart club. Even if it means having to live in the shadow of Bernardoni until May.
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