Ligue 1 Daily Report - 2026-09-25: Bordeaux takeover bid reportedly set at €1

James Bord’s Park Bench LLP group was reportedly preparing to acquire Girondins de Bordeaux for €1 on 25 September. The former professional poker player previously came close to buying Sheffield Wednesday and had also advised Sheffield United, while his investment group already held stakes in clubs in Spain, Bulgaria and Scotland. Bordeaux, Ligue 1 champions in 2008-09, have suffered successive relegations and financial problems since Gérard Lopez’s 2021 takeover. The proposed deal would therefore represent an attempt to rescue one of France’s most prominent historic clubs after its dramatic collapse from the top flight towards extinction.

Bordeaux’s reported situation underlines the scale of the club’s decline. Once regular participants in European competition, they have been weakened by poor results and chronic overspending, leaving survival rather than sporting ambition as the immediate priority. A €1 acquisition would not remove the club’s wider financial and operational problems, but it could provide a route for new ownership to take control. Bord’s previous involvement with English clubs gives the proposal a familiar football-investment profile, although the report presents the purchase as an expected move rather than a completed transaction.

Liverpool reportedly retained a strong interest in Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara on 25 September. The Athletic, as cited by GiveMeSport, said the Senegal international remained on Liverpool’s radar after a deadline-day move to Chelsea collapsed. Camara had completed a medical before the proposed £47.1 million transfer to Stamford Bridge fell through, with the deal becoming entangled in Folarin Balogun’s proposed move to Everton. The 22-year-old previously established himself in Ligue 1 with Metz before continuing his development at Monaco, where his performances have kept him in demand among Premier League clubs.

Camara’s situation leaves Monaco with a player whose future could remain a major storyline beyond the failed Chelsea deal. Liverpool’s reported interest suggests the midfielder’s Ligue 1 progress has continued to attract attention, even though no transfer has been confirmed. The earlier valuation provides an indication of the scale involved should Monaco decide to sell, while the collapse of the Chelsea move means Camara remains available to contribute at Stade Louis II. Any future approach would depend on Liverpool turning reported admiration into a formal offer.

Paul Pogba was pictured at Monaco’s La Turbie training centre on 25 September despite no longer being contracted to the club. The report described the visit as another turn in a career that has taken him from Manchester United’s academy to Juventus, back to Old Trafford and then to Monaco. Pogba’s second spell at United brought 226 appearances, 39 goals, a Europa League final victory and a League Cup, although injuries, managerial changes and inconsistent form prevented the return from matching its early promise.

The sighting renewed attention on Pogba’s connection with Monaco, but it did not amount to confirmation of a new playing agreement. His presence at the club’s training base nevertheless placed Ligue 1 at the centre of the latest stage of his career after his departure from Manchester United. Pogba remains one of the most recognisable midfielders associated with French football, and any formal decision about his next club would carry considerable interest. For now, the report concerns his return to familiar surroundings rather than an announced transfer or contract.

Pavel Sulc confirmed on 25 September that Wrexham discussed a potential £35 million move for him during the summer. Speaking to Seznam Zpravy, the Lyon and Czech Republic attacking midfielder said the Championship club had offered the most, with the reported figure equivalent to one billion Czech koruna. Sulc also said none of the proposals was high enough to persuade his club to sell him. The 25-year-old ultimately stayed at Lyon, leaving the French side with a player who had been the subject of one of the summer’s most unexpected transfer approaches.

Sulc said he did not want to move to the Championship or to what he described as “a small town in Wales”, despite acknowledging Wrexham’s distinctive status and Hollywood-backed rise. His comments clarified that the interest was genuine rather than merely speculative, while also explaining why the deal did not progress. For Lyon, retaining Sulc avoids losing an attacking player for a sizeable fee, although the revelation may ensure that future Premier League interest is measured against the unusually high figure discussed by Wrexham.

Chelsea were reportedly monitoring Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov on 25 September, according to a report cited by Football Talk. Khusanov first attracted attention in Ligue 1 during his time with RC Lens before moving to Manchester City, where he has reportedly been used as a rotational option. Chelsea were said to be considering defensive reinforcements for January after concerns over their early-season defending, with the Uzbekistan international identified as a possible target. The report presented Chelsea’s interest as exploratory rather than evidence of an offer or an agreement.

Khusanov’s emergence at Lens remains central to his current reputation, having helped establish him as an international regular for Uzbekistan before earning a move to England. A January approach would place Chelsea and Manchester City in discussions over a defender whose pathway has already taken him from Belarus to France and then the Premier League. His reported lack of regular starts at City could encourage interest, but any move would depend on Chelsea progressing beyond monitoring and City deciding whether to consider a sale or loan.