ASSE takes out his wallet. More than cautious for several seasons, the leaders of Saint-Etienne seem to want to reverse the trend in a complicated season in which they find themselves with their backs against the wall.
3 recruits signed, 3 on the way?
Green news is rich right now. 20th in Ligue 2 BKT, ASSE intends to climb the table. Among the levers activated, the Greens intend to exploit the transfer market to strengthen a staff that has shown its limits.
Gaëtan Charbonnier signed as a wildcard. Last week, Dennis Appiah and Gautier Larsonneur joined ASSE. Three reinforcements of weight as much for their experiences as for their qualities. They arrive to bring footballing qualities and mental freshness to a staff in total distrust. If the Greens’ performance against Laval was not perfect, the three recruits brought the group together in an undeniable way.
Other than these three recruits, the leaders of Saint-Etienne shouldn’t stop there. They still want to strengthen themselves in three other positions.
Reinforcement in the center of defense
Defense first. Laurent Batlles tried a lot. Different systems. Several associations. It’s an open secret, the Green coach doesn’t like defenders whose main quality is physical effort. Mickaël Nadé, Saïdou Sow or even Abdoulaye Bakayoko managed to recover some time, but the Green coach would like better recovery qualities. Jimmy Giraudon landed in the drill last June to bring his serenity to the recovery. If he remains the most used player after 18 days, the former trojan has clearly disappointed.
According to information from FootMercato, Grenoble defender Adrien Monfray will join AS Saint-Etienne in the coming days. Even he would have already signed and could therefore be available for Monday’s away match at Niort. Amazing information. According to our information, the player was training well with Grenoble. No agreement has been found for the moment…
However, the interest of the Greens is concrete. Laurent Batlles particularly appreciates the qualities of the player. Very physical, he is one of the bosses of GF38. He is the boss of a defense that concedes relatively few goals (15 in 18 games). Third most waterproof team in Ligue 2. It’s a safe bet in the league.
If FootMercato wanted to be very affirmative, at the moment we are a little less so.
An approaching left side
If the Greens are quick to sign Dennis Apiah on the right, another recruit is expected in the left-back position. Piston Niels Nkoundou could quickly join the drill according to information from the Parisian. For the young man who trained at OM, there is talk of a 6-month loan. Le Progrès confirms and is confident of his arrival.
“The Saint-Etienne leaders are about to complete the arrival of a left-back. As revealed by Parisien, negotiations with Niels Nkounkou (22), on loan from Everton to Cardiff since the start of the season, are well advanced.
According to our information, the last details for the arrival of the OM-trained defender on loan until the end of the season could be finalized this Wednesday.
This allowed Nkounkou, who has played 18 league games this season, to possibly participate in Niort’s away game on Monday night.
He is a very physical southpaw who does not hesitate to carry offensively. Endowed with interesting technical qualities, he regularly researches percussion. He would then come to compete with Léo Pétrot who continues by default in the left lane from Saint-Etienne. A much more offensive profile capable of playing in a 4 and 5 defender system. A versatility particularly sought after by Laurent Batlles and his managers.
A wanted offensive
If Gaëtan Charbonnier has signed, the Saint-Etienne board still wants new blood to animate Saint-Etienne’s attack. Flagrant in the first period against Laval, the offensive animation of the Greens remains largely insufficient.
The Greens’ transfer window priority was Brestois Irvin Cardona. At 25, the versatile striker is in danger in Brittany. When his contract expires in June, Stade Brestois would welcome an early departure. So much so that they would be ready to facilitate his transfer this winter.
ASSE has done everything in recent weeks to reconstitute the Charbonnier – Cardona duo. It’s no secret that Laurent Batlles appreciates the player’s qualities and even tried to bring him to Troyes. Able to play on the wing or forward, Irvin Cardona ticked all the boxes. Except one detail. The player declined to join the drill. However, Saint-Etienne had offered a higher salary than what he receives today in Ligue 1. According to the team’s latest estimates, the player received a salary of around 30,000 euros a month.
The Telegram confirms the interest of the Greens and indicates that the player could continue his career in Germany alongside Aulsbourg.
Eric Roy, new Brest manager, addressed the matter this week: “ It’s in a bit of a foggy period, I guess he’s in discussions with the clubs. I don’t want to upset him about that, and in turn it upsets the group a little too. I need fully engaged guys and we will call him if there is any idea of urgency in the current period. He told me that if he had left, he would have left before the transfer window, in the first half of January.
If January 15 didn’t change for him, we’ll make a point. If he’s still there on February 1, we’re really going to integrate him as an extra weapon, because he has a different profile. But today I want guys 100% in the head and completely in the project. I don’t know if he is in the best psychological condition to be the player you met in his first two seasons here ”.
Make way for Plan B for the AXIs recruiting unit and its leaders.
Finally, it cannot be ruled out that the residents of Saint-Etienne will take the opportunity to sign a defensive midfielder. Different profiles are observed. An oversized workforce will therefore need to be degreased. Also in this case the work promises to be complex for the leaders. Be that as it may, this month of January still promises to be very eventful.
