Ligue 1 Transfer News: N’Golo Kanté a Dream Signing for Paris FC as PSG Eye Bundesliga Duo

With the clock ticking down to the opening of January’s transfer window, we take a closer look at three high-profile names who could be moving to Ligue 1 this winter.

Dayot Upamecano from Bayern Munich to Paris Saint-Germain

Bayern Munich centre-back Dayot Upamecano has been heavily linked with a January move from one domestic champion to another.

A switch from Germany to France could be on the cards for the French international, with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain monitoring the situation of the three-time Bundesliga and UEFA Nations League winner.

Upamecano has featured in 11 of Bayern’s 14 Bundesliga matches so far in the 2025/26 season, while also playing in all six fixtures during the Champions League phase.

However, Bayern boast considerable depth in central defence. Kim Min-jae, Hiroki Ito, Josip Stanisic and Jonathan Tah can all operate at centre-back, giving Vincent Kompany plenty of rotation options — something that may not always suit Upamecano.

That said, PSG are hardly short in that department themselves after signing Illia Zabarnyi from Bournemouth for £55 million in the summer.

Captain Marquinhos remains a key figure, while Lucas Beraldo and Willian Pacho are also available to Luis Enrique. Whether Upamecano will be tempted by a move to Paris remains to be seen.

Said El Mala from Köln to Paris Saint-Germain

Said El Mala could potentially be joining Upamecano at the Parc des Princes, with Köln’s 19-year-old winger emerging as a reported target for the reigning Ligue 1 and Champions League holders.

Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are also interested in El Mala, who has already registered nine attacking contributions in the Bundesliga this season (six goals, three assists) across 14 appearances.

The left-footed wide man is currently Köln’s top scorer — no small feat for a teenager operating at this level.

Any deal would likely have to exceed the £7 million Southampton paid Köln in the summer to sign Damion Downs, underlining the club’s firm stance in negotiations.

Football Manager players will be well aware of the term “wonderkid”, and El Mala clearly fits that bracket.

While money is rarely an issue for PSG’s ownership, the French giants may still need to dig deep to persuade Köln to part with their star prospect midway through the season.

N’Golo Kanté from Al-Ittihad to Paris FC

N’Golo Kanté would be a marquee signing for newly promoted Paris FC should a January return to France materialise.

The former Chelsea and Leicester City midfielder boasts one of the most impressive CVs in modern football, having won the World Cup, Champions League and Premier League — among a long list of honours.

Add to that the Europa League, Nations League, FA Cup and Club World Cup, and Kanté’s trophy cabinet speaks for itself.

The 33-year-old has been playing for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia since June 2023, but a move back to France is not out of the question. Remarkably, Kanté has never played in Ligue 1, having featured for Boulogne in the lower leagues and Caen in Ligue 2 before moving abroad.

With Paris FC currently sitting 14th in the Ligue 1 table and just five points clear of the relegation play-off places, Kanté’s experience and leadership could prove decisive in helping Stéphane Gilli’s side secure survival.