with the constraints, a transfer window focused on the essentials

Forced by the financial body to respect the budgeted payroll after having reversed the administrative relegation to N1, the leaders could not go as far as planned in recruitment. They also had to fight to get players under contract (sometimes with high salaries) that they no longer wanted. Enough to achieve the objective of second place and recovery? Have. But the emergence of some young people during the summer gives the hope of existing at the top of the table a financial outline of the sanitized workforce.

1 Arrivals: experience behind, to discover ahead

The initial plan, prepared by David Guion with technical director Admar Lopes and Gérard Lopez in June, aimed for 11 arrivals, for a 4-4-2 with players with experience in the L2 and special efforts on defense and a center forward.

There were half as many. Faced with limitations, leaders focused on priorities. The positions they had to give up? That of goalkeeper, where David Guion wanted a profile with a big experience to stimulate Gaëtan Poussin and Rafaël Straczek, who had pre-signed in January. While all parties agreed, Jonas Lössl was repatriated to Denmark on Saturday, the deadline set by his Midtjylland club to validate the transfer. If the Girondins kept hope, the Danish champion informed them that they would keep the former Guingampais at least until January, for lack of a replacement.

Behind, Admar Lopes managed to recruit, early, where the shoe pinched last season: side. Vital N’Simba, who arrived in June with both L2 experience and a full season in L1 with Clermont, brings assurances on the left. On the right, Clément Michelin, author of a good season in L1 with Lens before leaving for AEK Athens, is referenced. Eight years after his departure at the end of his training, Yoann Barbet returned to be the boss, strong from his seven years in the Championship (English D2). The advent of Mwanga, Bokele, Ekomie during the summer, with the maintenance of Gregersen, seems to give guarantees.

“The possibility of recruiting a midfielder, mentioned this Thursday, has not been validated”

Before ? The events prevented from finalizing the arrival of the ex-Nantais Coulibaly. Aliou Badji, who is coming out of a great L2 season with Amiens, will have to bring his size and finish. The Georgian Ziruko Davitasvili (21), on the contrary, a small dribbler, has the vocation of entering a rotation of hopes with Bakwa, Delaurier-Chaubet, Pirringuel, De Lima. The question of the last days was about Alberth Elis. Long imagined leaving, having desires elsewhere, he will stay, added value if he recovers at his best level and from whom to pass a failure on the Davitashvili file. The possibility of a last recruit (an attacking midfielder), mentioned internally and externally this Thursday if Elis left, has not been validated.

2 Departures: Mehdi Zerkane, the only survivor

Players loaned last season, the Girondins hoped to keep Anel Ahmedhodzic and Danylo Ignatenko. The Ukrainian community quickly agreed. The operation became impossible for the Bosnian after the first passage in front of the DNCG in mid-June. The two were to form the backbone with Sekou Mara. For the young centre-forward, the transfer has become inevitable, bringing half of the budgeted compensation needs.

To qualify the recruits, and because the leaders wanted to turn a sporting and financial page, the bulk of the work will therefore have been on the departure side. With yesterday the termination of Enock Kwateng’s contract and the finalization of the agreement with Paul Baysse to launch his retraining within the club two years in advance, they have come to an end. M’Baye Niang, Abdeljalil Medioub were transferred; Edson Mexer’s contract was canceled to allow him to join Estoril free; Rémi Oudin has found a base on loan at Lecce. Summer soap opera, the sale of Hwang and Junior Onana was stretched by the difficult position in the negotiation of the Bordelais, who did not obtain as many indemnities as hoped for in June but enough to meet their forecasts. The surprise was the departure of Thibault Klidjé, the player having asked to be released to join Lucerne (Swiss D1), worried about uncertain playing time.

From the « loft », only the middle Mehdi Zerkane remained. In a sector that lacks creators, it can have a map.