There is a lot of change and stability going on with some of the big hitters in French football. Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille will be going into the new campaign with new men at the helm for starters. That pair, along with many others, have made some notable acquisitions. Here are the top Ligue 1 transfers of the summer window to date.
Top Ligue 1 Transfers of the Summer
Adrien Hunou to Angers SCO
Adrien Hunou has swapped MLS for French football, with the long-time Rennes forward returning to his home country and to join Angers. They ended up in 14th in 2021/22 and were several points clear of the drop-zone. Hunou’s arrival alongside the likes of Sofiane Boufal and Lois Diony could help propel them up the table.
Karamoko Dembele to Stade Brest
Karamoko Dembele is a name that has long since been touted as a future star. The 19-year-old from Lambeth, South London has been unable to get regular minutes with Celtic despite having a reputation that precedes him. Now, in one of the most intriguing Ligue 1 transfers of the summer, he has departed Scotland with mid-table Stade Brest his destination.
🇫🇷 Karamoko Dembélé has joined Ligue 1 side Stade Brest.
The 19-year-old joins on a free transfer, signing a four-year deal.
The England youth international made 8 senior appearances during his time with #CelticFC.#TeamPirates pic.twitter.com/sW44BuQZpO
— English Players Abroad (@EnglishAbroad1) July 5, 2022
Adam Buksa and Brice Samba to RC Lens
Lens were the biggest overachievers in France last season. Despite having an inferior budget, they finished ahead of both Lyon and Lille amongst others. One of the key players in their success may have moved on to pastures new but they aren’t about to rest on their laurels.
Goalkeeper Brice Samba joins from Nottingham Forest following their sensational promotion campaign whilst Polish striker Adam Buksa has been snapped up after thriving in front of goal for New England Revolution.
Alexandre Lacazette, Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico to Olympique Lyonnais
Lyon have made some major Ligue 1 transfers ahead of the new season. There are two returning faces plus a South American full-back who has finally departed Ajax after several summers of rumours.
Alexandre Lacazette was, along with Karim Benzema a superb striker at the heart of Lyon’s history in the 21st century. Fellow Frenchman Corentin Tolisso re-joins them also; he accumulated a number of trophies with Bayern Munich but never became a regular.
Official: Alexandre Lacazette has joined Lyon on a free transfer, following his release from Arsenal.
Best of luck, @LacazetteAlex! ❤️ #afc pic.twitter.com/21bBT1Zo8b
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) June 9, 2022
Jonathan Clauss and Luis Suarez to Olympique Marseille
The previously mentioned Lens hero on the move is Jonathan Clauss, but he has remained in the division. He joins Olympique Marseille, who have had a rough start to the season without kicking a ball. Manager Jorge Sampaoli has always been a fiery character and issues off the field led to his resignation.
Along with Clauss, Luis Suarez has joined Les Olympiens. This is not the legendary Barcelona man but instead a Colombian striker who has enjoyed a couple of fruitful seasons with Granada.
Breel Embolo and Takumi Minamino to AS Monaco
Liverpool’s ability to sell players for great money no matter how little they’ve played is truly astonishing. Takumi Minamino is the latest on this line, the Japanese winger swapping Merseyside for Monaco.
Philippe Clement’s side finished third last season and so could go that one step further as Minamino and Breel Embolo come through the door. Embolo has always been spoken about positively whether it be in Germany or Switzerland, but he is yet to hit the heights expected of him.
Wabhi Khazri to HSC Montpellier
Onto one of the more underrated Ligue 1 transfers as the experienced Wabhi Khazri has a new home. The former Sunderland man was key for Saint Etienne over the years but following their relegation, he has moved on. Montpellier themselves are far from inspiring at the moment but the league is worse in the absence of the Tunisian international.
Hugo Ekitite, Nordi Mukiele and Renato Sanches to Paris Saint-Germain
Penultimately, to the team to beat, Paris Saint-Germain, who continue to spend many, many millions. They have brought in a few interesting names. Christophe Galtier as the new manager is the most eye-catching of them all whilst they, after losing the Gianluca Scamacca battle to West Ham United, have beaten Newcastle United to Hugo Ekitite.
Ekitite arrives after impressing with Reims, French fullback Nordi Mukiele has swapped RB Leipzig for the Parisian giants and Renato Sanches, formerly of Bayern Munich and Swansea City, has joined on a permanent deal from Lille.
Paris Saint-Germain is pleased to announce the signing of Renato Sanches for the next five seasons. ✍️
The Portuguese midfielder is tied to the capital club until June 30, 2027. 🔴🔵
#WelcomeRenatohttps://t.co/pNuFjX8EmG
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 4, 2022
Colin Dagba to RC Strasbourg Alsace
The final name on the list of these Ligue 1 transfers is someone going out of the Parc des Princes door. Colin Dagba has been very solid in the capital but he is one of many players that is unable to get that full-on breakthrough.
For now, he is leaving on loan, with Strasbourg as the destination. They have been a thorn in the side of PSG for a few years now, always pulling out an incredible result against the odds. Maybe Dagba can further add to their pain.
