Damien Comolli reveals his plan for the end of the transfer window
Promoted to Ligue 1 after two years in the lower tier, Toulouse is making a good comeback among the elite. Sixth in the standings after a win and two draws, Téfécé came back with the label of a playful team, attractive to watch. To try to maintain despite a season with four runs, the Pitchounes remained measured. In terms of arrivals, the South-West club only spent €6 million to attract Thijs Dallinga, Zakaria Aboukhlal and Oliver Zanden. And in terms of departures, only the sale of Bafoué Diakité to LOSC for €3m is worth mentioning.
What to expect for the end of the transfer window? Asked by Actu.frTFC boss Damien Comolli made clear his plan and that of the owners, RedBird. “The objective always remains the same. We’re not here to sell players, we’re here to invest in the club, make it grow and go as high as possible. (…) There can always be last-minute offers, which you don’t expect. But at some point, the priority objective is the athlete and not the financial. So if there is a last minute offer and we cannot replace the player, we will say no. Whatever the financial offer. It’s clear. »
Towards a quiet end to the market?
Will Comolli check if this scenario occurs? Another sensitive issue: players whose contract ends in a year. A club with still limited financial means, the TFC cannot really afford to let several players slip away for free in a year. But there again, Comolli wants to be reassuring. “For players who are out of contract in 2023, some may be extended during the season. Others may decide to go free. We’ll see how it goes, but we’re quite ‘relaxed’ about that, because we give priority to the athlete. »
Finally, after having promised that the Pitchounes will not favor the financial over the sportsman during this end of the transfer window, can we expect one or more arrivals? Not really. Toulouse has certainly received around € 16 million thanks to the new financial players in Ligue 1, but for Comolli, it remains insufficient compared to other elite formations. “The money from CVC Capital Partners has arrived in French football. By removing the other two promoted, all our competitors received twice as much money as us. It is therefore impossible to compare what we are doing with other clubs that do not play in Europe. Against this background, on one already spent a lot of money and on a little sold. We are financially unbalanced. But as I explained previously, as a shareholder, we assume it completely. » It is said.