As a coach, Gourcuff emphasised his teams’ technicality in midfield with a slightly dogmatic approach. With Chirivella’s passing and vision, Gourcuff made him a starter immediately, and the former Liverpool hasn’t looked back since, despite the endless cycle of managers’ sackings at La Beaujoire. The former Valencia CF graduate even won his first senior trophy, the 2022 Coupe de France, with Les Canaris. This title gifted Nantes a berth in the Europa League group stage. However, the squad was stretched too thin on all three fronts – the team even reached the Coupe de France final – and results turned disastrous in the league.

Playing through the pain

Unfortunately, Antoine Kombouaré could not rely on Chirivella’s positional awareness and press to trigger transitions and keep the boat afloat. The Spaniard, who had renewed his contract with Nantes until 2026, had to call an end to his season after suffering from a hip strain. With Nantes heading for a return to Ligue 2, Chirivella put his body on the line, making himself available to newly-named Nantes head coach Pierre Aristouy, who lauded his player’s commitment. “Within the squad, Pedro is seen as an extremely generous and valuable player who does a lot of work on the pitch.“

Chirivella played through the pain in the final game of the Ligue 1 season, which Nantes eventually won to ensure their Ligue 1 survival. This season, the former Liverpool man has been handed the captaincy and he does not hesitate to shake his teammates up after a bad performance, as he did against Metz (1-3). “I never thought I would be captain three years after I arrived here. It’s a source of pride, happiness and responsibility. You have to try to get the whole group on the same path to get to the same place“, Chirivella said to Ouest-France recently.

Chirivella’s commitment on and off the pitch has earned him the praise of many. He has been elected Nantes’ player of the month for November. It remains to be seen whether the 26-year-old will keep dictating the tempo at Nantes for the long run or fulfil his ambition to play in La Liga in his peak years.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

However, the faithful Canaris fans would have probably preferred not to see the former Guingamp man put pen to paper with their bitter Brittany rivals Stade Rennais. Still, the 25-year-old had the courtesy not to run down his contract with Nantes to go on a free, leaving La Beaujoire in a €15m switch after four seasons of truly memorable moments.

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝗳 Ludovic Blas

𝟰 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 en jaune et vert. pic.twitter.com/sVDNLW3iFS

— FC Nantes (@FCNantes) July 5, 2023

Blas was Antoine Kombouaré’s Nantes’ driving force – a pacy and deft dribbler with a keen eye for goal and gifted with some serious ball-striking abilities. Who ran half of the Juventus’ pitch to rifle past Wojciech Szczęsny in Turin? Blas did. Who scored a stunning acrobatic volley against Lyon in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France? Blas did. Who dribbled past two Angers players to assist Ignatius Ganago for Nantes’ most vital goal of the season on the final matchday? You know who.

Struggling for game time at Rennes

On the back of a successful 2021-22 season, in which Nantes over-performed in the league with a ninth-place finish and a Coupe de France title – Blas scored the final’s only goal against Nice, with a trademark torpedo from the penalty spot – Lille heavily courted the 2016 U19 European champion. Nantes stood firm. It could have proven their undoing, given Blas’ inconsistency and struggles to link up with teammates not as talented as he is.

He flourished with Randal Kolo Muani two years ago, but not so much the following season. Despite being given the armband, Blas considered Nantes a stepping stone for his career. Talks of a contract renewal with Les Canaris never really gathered pace. The time to take a leap of faith had come.

Bruno Genesio’s Rennes made their move and Blas looked very much at ease in preseason. The 25-year-old played as a right-sided winger under the guidance of Genesio, as a de facto replacement for the Manchester City-bound Jérémy Doku. However, Rennes’ struggling start of the season – culminating with Genesio’s resignation – has taken its toll on Blas’ confidence, despite some acceptable statistics (five goal contributions in 19 games).

It would be unfair to say Blas is having a worse season in Brittany than the likes of Enzo Le Fée, Arnaud Kalimuendo or Amine Gouiri. However, with Stéphan opting for a 3-4-3 set-up, Blas has fallen the pecking order with the Algeria international starting ahead of him. The upcoming 2024 AFCON may be Blas’ chance to kickstart his Rennes career back and remind Ligue 1 of his outrageous skills.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

The former Gent forward’s current contract status has been attracting interest from several Ligue 1 clubs including Lyon. OL have even contacted Simon’s entourage to gauge his interest in a move to Les Gones. OGC Nice were also reportedly interested in the winger, who has three goals and five assists in 17 Ligue 1 appearances with Les Canaris this season. 

Amidst rumours of a departure from Nantes, perhaps even as early as in January, Simon has now committed to remaining at the Beaujoire. Last season, the Nigerian forward was instrumental in guiding Nantes to safety, and with the club once again mired in a relegation battle this time around, he is expected to be a key figure again this season, and beyond. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

If the Nigerian winger does not sign a contract extension with Nantes, he will be able to discuss his availability with clubs in January and sign a pre-contract deal. The former Gent forward’s current contract status has been attracting interest from several Ligue 1 clubs including Lyon. OL have even contacted Simon’s entourage to gage his interest in a move to Les Gones. 

Flying with Les Canaris

However, Lyon’s, and other Ligue 1 clubs including Nice and Lille’s, hopes of signing the Nigerian forward appear to have taken a hit following these latest developments. This news will be a major boost for Nantes fans ahead of a potential relegation battle in 2024. Simon has been a major influence at Nantes since he arrived at the club in 2019, and that has continued this season. The 28-year-old has 3 goals and 5 assists in 17 Ligue 1 appearances this season. 

GFFN | Liam Wraith

Foot Mercato reported on Monday that Lyon had made contact with Simon regarding a potential summer move. The Nigerian international’s contract with Les Canaris expires at the end of the season, so he will be available on a free. With the potential to sign Simon without a fee needing to be paid in the summer, a move in January is unlikely. 

However, OL may not be the only Ligue 1 club in the running to sign Simon. According to Romano, Nice and Lille are also interested in the winger. Saudi Arabian clubs have also enquired about the conditions of a potential deal in the summer. 

The Nantes attacker will likely feature for Nigeria in next year’s AFCON in January before his contract runs out this summer. Simon has featured in 15 matches so far this season for Les Canaris, managing to net on three occasions and register four assists. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

The Nantes attacker will likely feature for Nigeria in next year’s AFCON in January, before his contract runs out this summer. Simon has featured in 15 matches so far this season for Les Canaris, managing to net on three occasions and register four assists. 

Lyon looking at loans and free transfers this winter

Lyon, meanwhile, are mobilising themselves for the winter transfer window, after being given the green light from French football’s financial watchdog to spend in January. Head of recruitment Mathieu Louis Jean is already looking at a number of options, aiming to bring in players on loan from big European sides, and also try to attract a few permanent moves for players whose contracts are about to expire. 

Les Gones are still rock bottom of Ligue 1, but they come off the back of an Alexandre Lacazette hat-trick in a convincing 3-0 victory against Toulouse at the weekend. Lyon are now three points from safety under interim manager Pierre Sage.

 GFFN | George Boxall

Barcola has struggled since his big-money move from formative club Olympique Lyonnais in the summer, however, he started against Les Canaris and took his chance. The France U21 international profited from some good work from Kylian Mbappé before finishing past Alban Lafont from a tight angle. 

Whilst Luis Enrique described Barcola as a “bet” he believes that the winger can have a considerable impact in the present and the future. 

“It is a clear bet from the club when we go out and find such a young player, a youth international, with a big personality and the quality to burst out. He has quite a few minutes for being in a team like ours. He incarnates the present and the future. On Saturday evening, he was superb, the most decisive player in one-on-one situations and he scored an exceptional goal too. He had a great match; there is nothing new regarding Bradley. I am very happy for him,” said Luis Enrique in a post-match press conference, attended by Get French Football News.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

The visitors, meanwhile were in the early stages of a mid-season revival under newly-arrived manager Jocelyn Gourvennec – the former Bordeaux and Lille manager had already ended Nice’s unbeaten start to the campaign in his first match in charge last week.

Predictably enough, the hosts dominated the early exchanges – Bradley Barcola playing incisively, as he looked to make amends for his miss-strewn performance against Newcastle. The compact Nantes lines held out, though, with the league leaders barely carving out a single clear-cut chance – making for a decidedly tame first half.

PSG eventually broke through just before the break, as Barcola played a one-two with Vitinha, breaking away down the left before curling it inside the far post. A goal reminiscent of his strike partner’s trademark finishes.

But Luis Enrique’s men were not afforded the straightforward evening they would have hoped for before heading out to Germany, as Mostafa Mohamed headed it in from a Florent Mollet corner shortly before the hour mark.

As was the case in the first half, the hosts then struggled to pull apart the Nantes defence, with Barcola’s darting runs down the left the only time that Les Canaris looked potentially destabilised. The breakthrough would eventually come from his direct replacement, as Randal Kolo Muani turned in from close range after a goalmouth scramble from a free-kick. The French international, who had only come on five minutes beforehand, did not celebrate against his formative club.

Jocelyn Gourvennec’s resilient Nantes side would, in the end, pose a worthy pre-Europe challenge to the league leaders. While Mbappé was kept mostly quiet, two much-criticised summer signings in Barcola and Kolo Muani proved to be the matchwinners. Hardly a convincing showing – although neither was Dortmund’s against Leipzig earlier on – but PSG did just about enough to secure an eighth consecutive league win.

PSG player ratings

Arnau Tenas, 6 – Deputising for the suspended Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Catalan was rarely tested, but managed to keep out a late flurry of Nantes chances – the equalising header was beyond his reach.

Achraf Hakimi, 5

Danilo Pereira, 6

Marquinhos, 6 – On his return from injury, the captain put in an assured performance. Replaced by Milan Škriniar on the hour mark.

Lucas Hernandez, 5

Carlos Soler, 6

Manuel Ugarte, 4 – The Uruguayan has struggled to continue his impressive start to the campaign, and has been somewhat hesitant and error-prone of late – he lost six duels tonight before being replaced by the returning Warren Zaïre-Emery with thirty minutes to go.

Vitinha, 5

Kang-in Lee, 6

Kylian Mbappé, 5 – Spearheaded the attack in his new central role but – as has been the case with PSG’s other number nines – did not get much service, and was at his most effective when drifting wide.

Bradley Barcola, 7 – The much-maligned summer signing finally announced himself to his new fans – after a barrage of criticisms for his misses against Newcastle, the former Lyon man scored his first goal for the club, and was at his incisive best down the left wing. Replaced by Randal Kolo Muani, who made an instant impact by scoring the winner from close range.

Nantes player ratings

Alban Lafont, 5

Marcus Coco, 4

Eray Cömert, 5

Jean-Charles Castelletto, 5

Jean-Kévin Duverne, 4

Douglas Augusto, 6

Samuel Moutoussamy, 4

Florent Mollet, 6

Moussa Sissoko, 5

Moses Simon, 6 – The Nigerian managed to slalom past defenders and break through several times – but was never able to find a teammate in the box to make the chance count.  

Mostafa Mohamed, 5 – Had little to work with in the first half, but a well-taken header in the second drew the visitors level. Struggled to link up with his teammates in open play, but did keep the PSG defence busy.

Sissoko played for Watford, Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and experienced various philosophies and playing styles under different managers. The 34-year-old’s most successful spell in the Premier League came under the management of Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs, where they reached the Champions League final in 2019. 

Pochettino – “The most important”

The former France international spoke about his time at Spurs and the influence of the current Chelsea manager, “My start at Spurs wasn’t easy. I often started on the bench… with no explanation, but with Pochettino it made no difference. Pochettino has no difference between starters and substitutes. He could, for example, during training, congratulate everyone or shout at them. I appreciated this equal treatment.”

The former Watford midfielder also added, “Thanks to him, I was able to work on myself, not give up to shake up the hierarchy. And, little by little, I succeeded. He encouraged perseverance. If I had to describe it with one word, it would be professionalism. If you give it your all, you’ll get your chance. Of all my coaches, it is with him that I learned the most technically, tactically, even mentally. I gave the best version of myself.”

Didier Deschamps – “A Great Gentleman”

Sissoko was also managed by Didier Deschamps at the international level for Les Bleus and was asked about the impact the World Cup-winning coach had on him as a player, “A great gentleman… He excels at managing a group. He is one of my best encounters in football. He trusted me. He doesn’t listen to what can be said right or left about a player. He has his convictions and sticks to them.”

The 34-year-old also added, “Sometimes my presence in his lists was greeted with a certain scepticism from the outside. He knew why he was calling me. He told me to be myself and to bring my qualities to the team. I think, on the ground, I justified this confidence. I send a big thank you to the man and the coach.”

GFFN | Liam Wraith