Lens coach Franck Haise has confirmed that Arnaud Kalimuendo will not return to the Ligue 1 outfit as Leeds United attempt to lure the striker to the Premier League, speaking to But Football Club.
Do they ever learn, PSG?
When the perennial French champions replaced Mauricio Pochettino and Leonardo with Christophe Galtier and Luis Campos, they did so with the aim of bringing an era of ‘glitter’ and ‘bling’ – to borrow Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s expression – to an end, while making far greater use of one of European football’s most prosperous academies.
But that re-vamped approach, it seems, will not stop Kalimuendo going the same way as Moussa Diaby, Christopher Nkunku, Mike Maignan, Moussa Dembele, Kingsley Coman and co.
Despite scoring 13 times on loan at Lens last season, 20-year-old Kalimuendo is one of many fringe players up for sale this summer (Marca). Newcastle United have shown an interest. Ditto Nottingham Forest, prior to Taiwo Awoniyi’s record-breaking arrival.
As things stand, Leeds feel like the most obvious destination. The Yorkshire giants failed with an £18 million bid recently, per The Independent, but it is understood that PSG would be willing to shake hands on a £20 million deal.
Leeds United have offered £18m for Arnaud Kalimuendo
And, with Kalimuendo set to leave the Parc des Princes on a permanent basis this time around, Lens coach Haise has all-but confirmed that one of Ligue 1’s breakthrough stars will not be returning for another loan spell at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
“We can guess that there will be many more players leaving,” says Haise. “But, for the moment, only Kalimuendo and (Yannick) Cahuzac have left.”
‘Have left’. Past tense.
Now, £20 million for an academy graduate who’s played just four senior games in PSG colours looks like an inspired piece of business. From a financial perspective anyway. Former midfielder Momo Sissoko, however, fears that history may be about to repeat itself as Kalimuendo prepares to go the way of Coman and Diaby.
“I would like Paris to bet on him,” Sissoko tells Le Parisien. “He proved during his loan at Lens that he has (the quality to play at) the level.”
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