Cash-strapped St Etienne are under pressure to raise £18 million before they even think about signing Islam Slimani from Leicester City, as reported by Le10 Sport.
As the Foxes themselves discovered during the summer transfer window, one of the most historic clubs in French football have been hit hard by football’s financial crisis.
In July, St Etienne president Roland Romeyer told L’Equipe Wesley Fofana wouldn’t be sold before the October deadline, stating his departure was “not possible”.
A few weeks later, once Leicester made a bid he couldn’t refuse, Romeyer crumbled and allowed his defensive lynchpin to make the move across the Channel.
Whether Slimani goes in the other direction in January remains to be seen, however.
Le10 Sport claims St Etienne boss Claude Puel would jump at the chance to reunite with a player he knows well from his time at the King Power.
But unless Les Verts raises about £18 million to ease their financial fears, former Monaco loanee Slimani won’t be heading back to Ligue 1.
The Algerian’s £65,000-a-week wages won’t make agreeing a deal any easier (L’Equipe).
Sitting 15th in the table, there are doubts over whether St Etienne have any players worth cashing in on after making about £60 million from the sale of William Saliba and Fofana.
Forwards Denis Bouanga and Romain Hamouma have shone in a struggling side and are likely to attract interest – with St Etienne desperate to sell.
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