Ligue 1 Daily Report - 2026-08-25

Monaco terminated Paul Pogba’s contract after one season, according to GiveMeSport, ending the midfielder’s return to Ligue 1. The 33-year-old signed a two-year agreement with the club last summer but endured four separate injuries during the 2025/26 campaign. Those problems restricted him to six appearances for Monaco. Pogba, a 2018 World Cup winner with France, had returned to his home country seeking a fresh start after his previous spell away from the game. His departure leaves him searching for another club after a short and disrupted stay in the French top flight.

The termination represents another setback for a player whose recent career has been repeatedly interrupted by fitness problems. GiveMeSport reported that several clubs were being considered, with a move to Major League Soccer among the possibilities. Any next step will depend on whether Pogba can find a suitable environment and regain sustained match involvement. Monaco, meanwhile, must replace the experience of a high-profile midfielder who contributed far less on the pitch than the club would have hoped when it agreed to bring him back to Ligue 1.

Manchester City have secured the signature of Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, according to Sporting News, continuing their midfield rebuilding under new manager Enzo Maresca. Bouaddi, 18, impressed for Morocco at the 2026 World Cup, where the Atlas Lions reached the quarter-finals, and had already made 88 appearances for Lille since his debut in October 2023. Morocco World News reported that the transfer was expected to be worth up to €100 million, including bonuses. Such a fee would make Bouaddi the most expensive player to leave Ligue 1 for a foreign league and would surpass Lille’s previous record sale, Nicolas Pepe’s move to Arsenal.

The proposed transfer would represent a major financial return for Lille and underline the value of their youth development system. Bouaddi became the club’s youngest player after appearing in the Conference League at 16, then established himself sufficiently to attract one of England’s wealthiest clubs. City’s investment reflects the midfielder’s international exposure and early senior experience, although his age means the move is also a long-term commitment. For Lille, the challenge will be replacing a player whose development had made him one of the most valuable young assets in French football.

Newcastle United have reportedly offered Lille about €40 million, excluding bonuses, for winger Matias Fernandez-Pardo, according to a report credited to L’Équipe by Yahoo Sports Canada. GiveMeSport separately reported that Newcastle were preparing a final offer of £51.3 million for the 21-year-old. Fernandez-Pardo remains under contract with Lille until 2029. Lille president Olivier Letang is understood to prefer keeping the player, particularly if the club cannot secure a replacement before the transfer deadline. The competing reports show the Premier League side testing Lille’s resolve during the final stages of the window.

Fernandez-Pardo’s situation has become one of Lille’s most important late-window decisions. A sale would provide substantial income, but it would also remove a young forward from a squad already facing pressure to maintain its competitiveness. Newcastle’s financial strength gives the English club room to improve its proposal, while Lille’s preference for retaining the winger places greater emphasis on timing and replacement planning. Any agreement would be a significant Ligue 1 departure, but the reports describe negotiations rather than a completed transfer.

Omari Kellyman has left Chelsea in a permanent move to Strasbourg, according to Heavy, citing The Athletic’s Collin Millar. The 20-year-old joined Chelsea from Aston Villa in 2024 on a six-year contract for a fee reported at about £19 million, but he did not make a senior appearance for the London club. Kellyman previously spent time on loan at Cardiff City, where he scored 11 goals. His transfer to Strasbourg came shortly after Chelsea’s 3-2 victory over Fulham and continued the close player-trading relationship between the two clubs within the BlueCo group.

The move gives Kellyman an opportunity to establish himself in Ligue 1 after failing to break into Chelsea’s first team. Heavy reported that Chelsea retained a buy-back option, meaning the midfielder’s development can continue to be monitored by his former club. Strasbourg gain a young player with a substantial previous transfer valuation and a productive loan spell behind him. The permanent structure also underlines how Chelsea’s wider ownership network can provide a pathway for prospects who might otherwise remain blocked by competition at Stamford Bridge.

Dilane Bakwa is set to join Lille from Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan, according to Vital Football, in a return to Ligue 1 for the 23-year-old French winger. The report said Bakwa had received clearance to complete the move after choosing Lille over Hull City. Forest signed him from Strasbourg in September 2025 for €35 million on a contract running until 2030. During his first season in England, Bakwa made 30 appearances across all competitions, scoring once and providing five assists, including six Premier League starts.

The loan offers Bakwa a chance to rebuild his momentum in familiar surroundings after a difficult first campaign at Forest. Vital Football reported that he made 14 Premier League appearances and played 552 minutes, while Lille will hope his previous Ligue 1 experience can translate into an immediate contribution. For Forest, the arrangement gives the winger regular football and protects the value of a sizeable investment. Lille, meanwhile, add a player capable of strengthening their wide options while avoiding an immediate permanent commitment.

Ligue 1 will largely stop for an extended international window from 21 September to 6 October, according to Nigeria Info. FIFA has merged the traditional September and October men’s international breaks into one 16-day period, allowing national teams to play up to four matches. The change affects Europe’s leading domestic competitions, including the French top flight, and is part of FIFA’s international match calendar for 2025-2030. The first four rounds of Ligue 1 will therefore be played before the extended interruption, with the schedule built around the new international arrangement.

The longer pause changes the rhythm of the opening weeks for Ligue 1 clubs and creates an early planning challenge for managers. Players involved with national teams could face a concentrated run of fixtures, while clubs will have to manage preparation around departures and staggered returns. FIFA said the change does not increase the number of international matches across the two windows; it combines them into one spell instead. For French clubs, the effect will be felt most clearly in squad availability and the continuity of domestic competition during the first part of the season.