The AFC Asian Cup, which is to take place in Qatar, will start on the 12th of January 2024 and end on the 10th of February. This means that the competition will take place outside of the FIFA international calendar and that players participating will miss several matches with their clubs.
An important decision, which is to be taken between both parties, that could significantly affect some clubs’ start to the year, as well as their winter transfer windows. In Ligue 1, several teams are affected, with the Asian stars often being crucial parts of their sides’ setups.
PSG, Monaco, Lens, Reims and Montpellier could all lose their Asian stars
Stade Reims could perhaps suffer the biggest loss, as their Japanese winger duo, made up of Junya Ito and Keito Nakamura, could both be off to Qatar as they are both important players for the Japan national team. This season, they have seven goal contributions between the two of them and would leave a big gap in Will Still’s side, Ito in particular who has started all 15 of Reims’ Ligue 1 matches so far and serves as the team’s main offensive outlet.
Montpellier HSC’s Mousa Al-Tamari (26) could be an equally important loss, as he could join the Jordan national team, whose best-ever finish in the competition was a quarter-final, in both the 2004 and 2011 editions. They would therefore be hoping for the Jordanian to join their ranks in order to best that performance, as the winger is in stunning form with Montpellier, after joining the club last summer from OH Leuven.
RC Lens’ Abdukodir Khusanov (19) is next on the list, as the young centre-back could be looking to join this Asian Cup’s underdog, as the Uzbeks will aim to replicate the nation’s performance in the u-20 AFC last winter, which they ended up winning. A golden generation for the country, of which Khusanov is very much a part, as the 19-year-old has had a rapid ascension in the past year, and is now an exciting prospect in Lens’ rotation.
AS Monaco, on the other hand, could lose an essential piece of their starting XI, as Takumi Minamino (28) could join Japan for the competition, while the attacker is in top form for Les Monégasques. With five goals and four assists in 14 games this season, the Japanese is back to the level he had in his breakout season with RB Salzburg and is greatly responsible for Monaco’s current third place in the Ligue 1 table.
Finally, PSG’s Kangin-Lee (22) could also be interested in participating in the Asian Cup with South Korea, and the Parisians may not be as opposed to letting go of their player as some of the other sides, as the 22-year-old has only made 12 appearances with the side. However, most of those appearances have been satisfying, as the Korean brings a different output from the other midfielders at the club. The decision could be closely linked to how quickly Warren Zaïre-Emery (17) and Fabián Ruiz (27) return to top form following their recent injuries, as well as which players the club is able to sign during the winter window.
