PSG challenge Real Madrid in pursuit of Premier League star
Their bid to collect a fifth trophy this season ended with a 3–0 defeat to Chelsea in the Club World Cup final, a night where the Premier League side delivered clinical moments and PSG simply couldn't respond in time.
Advertisement
However, Luis Enrique's side isn't dwelling on the setback and instead, they're acting swiftly in the transfer market, prioritizing defensive depth, especially looking at center-back.
The anticipate changes this summer with Milan Skriniar expected to depart permanently after his loan spell at Fenerbahce.
They've now turned attention to a player also wanted by Real Madrid.
PSG have turned their attention to Real Madrid target
Ibrahima Konate's name has moved to the top of PSG's list, but they are not alone in chasing the Liverpool defender.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
According to Marca, the Frenchman has already turned down two contract extension offers from Liverpool and is now willing to leave when his current deal runs out in 2026.
Advertisement
The club fears a repeat of the Trent Alexander-Arnold situation and are prepared to sell him this summer rather than lose him for nothing.
Fichajes reports: 'In recent weeks Paris Saint-Germain has entered the negotiations strongly, willing to compete directly for the French defender.
Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate
'PSG's proposal not only includes an attractive salary but also an ambitious sporting project that could tempt the player to change destinations and leave the Real Madrid team unable to finalise his contract.'
According to some reports, Real Madrid would soon submit a £43 million [$57m] bid on the table, but PSG's late surge has unsettled the situation, and Madrid now face the real threat of losing a top defensive target to one of their fiercest continental rivals.
Advertisement
Paris Saint-Germain news and related links
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
23 minutes ago
- New York Times
Women's Euros viewership nearly doubles from 2022, Fox Sports says
Television viewership of Euros group-stage matches has nearly doubled from the 2022 iteration of the tournament, Fox announced Tuesday, with an average of 306,000 people tuning in to those 24 matches this summer, compared to an average of 161,000 three years ago. The most-watched game so far has been France's scintillating 2-1 victory over reigning champion England on July 5. That game brought in 690,000 viewers, a 329 percent increase from the previous group stage. Advertisement More recently, 2023 World Cup champion Spain's 3-1 win over Italy on July 11 averaged 568,000 viewers, while an average of 486,000 tuned in for Sweden's 4-1 victory over Germany on July 12. Both matches featured the winning teams coming back from a goal down to claim three points. A Fox spokesperson also told The Athletic that England's 6-1 win over Wales garnered around 151,000 viewers to FS1, while the Lionesses' 4-0 rout of the Netherlands brought 120,000 to the same channel. 'UEFA Women's EURO 2025 has surpassed all our expectations in setting a new viewership record for the group stage. Fox Sports is proud to see our commitment to both international soccer and women's sports validated by +90% growth,' Fox Sports president of insight and analytics Mike Mulvihill said in a statement. 'With the knockout rounds starting Wednesday and matches the rest of the way airing on Fox, we're confident the tournament will continue resonating with fans,' Mulvihill added. This is Fox Sports' first time broadcasting the women's European championships. In addition to airing the matches themselves — not only on cable but on its main broadcast channel — the network has featured prominent pre-match coverage featuring a slate of retired international women's football stars. World Cup champions Carli Lloyd (who is also a National Soccer Hall of Famer) and Julie Ertz of the U.S. women's national team, and four-time European champion Ariane Hingst of Germany composed the analyst team alongside Alexi Lalas and Stu Holden at the start of the tournament. Norway and Italy will open the Euros' quarterfinal stage when they face off on Wednesday in Geneva. Thursday's quarterfinal features Sweden against England, followed by Spain vs. tournament host Switzerland on Friday and France vs. Germany on Saturday. All matches kick off at 3 p.m. ET.
Hamilton Spectator
26 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Charlotte to host MLS All-Star game in 2026 for first time, AP source says
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte will host the Major League Soccer All-Star game for the first time in 2026, according to a person familiar with the decision. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not been made official. MLS commissioner Don Garber is expected to confirm the venue on Wednesday at a news conference in Charlotte. Charlotte FC, owned by Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, was named the league's 28th franchise in 2019 and began play in the league in 2022. The game will be played at Bank of America Stadium, which is also home to the Panthers. Charlotte has recently hosted Copa America and Club World Cup games. This year's All-Star game is set for Austin, Texas, between the MLS All-Stars and the Liga MX All-Stars. The opponents for the 2026 All-Star game will be announced at a later date. ___ AP soccer:
New York Times
34 minutes ago
- New York Times
Putting Stars in the Sky With a Halftime Stage
Visuals by Vincent Alban Text by Emmanuel Morgan When backup dancers in yellow costumes marched up an aisle near the apex of MetLife Stadium, soccer fans were still looking down, watching the FIFA Club World Cup final. Moments later, atop a spiraling stage stitched between the seats, the Colombian artist J Balvin began his hit song 'Mi Gente.' The Nigerian singer Tems and the American rapper Doja Cat followed in a 10-minute halftime spectacle that was also a high-stakes rehearsal. The men's World Cup final next summer, also at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, will include a halftime show for the first time. The performers, who are being curated by Chris Martin of the rock band Coldplay, have not been announced, but the global audience will be unrivaled. Argentina's championship win over France in 2022 drew four times as many viewers as this year's Super Bowl. Although the N.F.L. uses the football field for its splashy halftime shows, FIFA wanted to protect the grass playing surface on Sunday. Organizers instead constructed a stage — a 120-foot-wide contraption of railings and panels — high in the stands, which required removing seats and transporting sections without cranes, said the set designer Bruce Rodgers. At a rehearsal the day before the show, crews placed towels on a rail and the stage to keep the surface cool. The stage's unusual location presented particular challenges. Background performers prepared in cramped spaces. Artists and dancers had to climb as many as 40 steps to reach the top of the stage, which lacked elevator access. Cast members whose costumes included high-heeled shoes installed cube-like molds at the tip to secure their grip. To capture video footage, Rodgers's team deployed a motorized camera that was also used when Rihanna performed on floating platforms at the Super Bowl in 2023. Global Citizen, which organizes charity musical festivals and is producing the halftime shows for FIFA, quickly learned some lessons for next summer, when 48 nations compete throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Hugh Evans, Global Citizen's chief executive, said it must keep the performers cooler (temperatures were over 80 degrees) and improve the exposure of cameras because of the sun. But he was pleased overall, shedding a tear after watching the show. Martin selected Sunday's artists to ensure a mix of genres and nationalities for an international sport. During the show, Tems pointed at a camera while singing 'Love Me JeJe,' and Doja Cat performed 'Woman' while balancing one of her legs on a thin railing. 'This tournament is people from all over the globe, and the halftime show should ideally try and reflect that,' Martin said, adding, 'The only criteria for me is, 'Are the songs amazing?'' After the first half between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, a stadium announcer reminded fans about the show in an effort to shorten their bathroom and concessions trips. Large-scale halftime entertainment is unfamiliar to most soccer fans. But although much of the stadium's middle sections remained empty for the first portion of the performance, it filled up toward the end. As Emmanuel Kelly sang Coldplay's hit 'A Sky Full of Stars' alongside the band, fans waved towels and fireworks exploded. Produced by Amanda Webster.
