No one could accuse Paris Saint-Germain of sitting idly by and letting Layvin Kurzawa gather dust on the Parc des Princes sidelines.
According to Goal, PSG approached Chelsea last month to see whether the reigning European champions would be interested in taking Kurzawa across the Channel.
Despite losing Ben Chilwell to a long-term injury, however, Thomas Tuchel’s side turned their nose up at the £20 million France international.
So did Lille, for that matter.
“We have two left-backs that we have faith in,” Les Dogues president Olivier Letang explains. “We were indeed offered Layvin Kurzawa but we don’t want to go and get another wide player.”
According to RMC Sport, West Ham came closer than most to releasing the seldom-seen 29-year-old from his plush Parisien prison.
The Hammers came within a whisker of landing Kurzawa on deadline day.
Newcastle United made an approach of their own. That is, before turning their attention to Matt Targett – the very definition of a low-risk, high-reward, short-term quick-fix signing (FootMercato).
Will Layvin Kurzawa play another game for PSG this season?
So, try as they might, PSG just couldn’t shift Kurzawa off the books. It was a similar story last summer too.
Back then, the former Monaco flyer rebuffed Crystal Palace to fight for his place in the French capital.
It’s a fight he’s lost.
Even when spring-heeled starlet Nuno Mendes has been unavailable, manager Mauricio Pochettino has fielded Abdou Diallo, Thilo Kehrer and Juan Bernat at left-back without ever displaying any desire to bring in Kurzawa from the cold.
One of the longest-serving players in PSG’s squad has played nine minutes of football all season. His one and only appearance came in the Trophee des Champions victory over Lille in August.
In fact, it would be a major surprise if Kurzawa was seen again between now and the end of May.
Come the summer, after losing 12 months of his career, one suspects Kurzawa will be a little more receptive to any outside offers.
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