Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed the hiring of Luis Campos as football adviser as the French giants prepare for their expected summer revolution. The Portuguese talent scout made a name for himself in France, with AS Monaco and Lille OSC being the two Ligue 1 clubs to dethrone PSG in recent years. “I am chuffed to bits to be joining PSG,” Campos said in an official statement. “Which I regard as the most ambitious and exciting club in the world. I strongly believe in and support the club’s vision, and I can’t wait to get started on recognising this exceptional club’s full potential.” Despite the absence of official confirmation from the capital club, Campos will manage PSG’s acquisitions, with Leonardo no longer serving as sporting director. After a disappointing 2021-22 season in which Les Parisiens only won Ligue 1, head coach Mauricio Pochettino is expected to follow the Brazilian out of Parc des Princes. Zinedine Zidane is PSG’s first choice, but the ex-Real Madrid boss will take time to bring in because Pochettino is still under contract, and the Frenchman is waiting to see what transpires with France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year in case Didier Deschamps leaves Les Bleus.
“All these rumors about a deal with PSG are completely untrue,” Zidane’s adviser Alain Migliaccio told L’Equipe. “The PSG owner has never contacted Zinedine or me directly. As of today, I am the only person empowered to speak for and represent Zidane.”
Christophe Galtier, the current boss of OGC Nice and the 2020-21 Ligue 1 title holder Lille OSC, is also considered a frontrunner for the job.
Pochettino is expected to leave after 18 months with titles in the Championnat, Coupe de France, and Trophee des Champions but only one appearance in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. After Leonardo’s friendship with the French superstar and his family broke down, Kylian Mbappe’s decision to stay with PSG was a big boost at the end of a miserable season. Although Mbappe and Pochettino had a good relationship, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss’s track record since returning to Paris in a non-playing role has been unsatisfying.
PSG is expected to undergo significant changes this summer, with Campos now on board, having previously worked with Mbappe when Les Monegasques conquered Les Parisiens to win the 2016-17 title. Galtier, who has originally worked closely with the Portuguese transfer guru at Stade Pierre Mauroy, could follow, but Zidane has been PSG’s favored candidate for some time. Campos was leading a PSG push to sign Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco, but the France international has set his sights on a move to Real Madrid, which is likely to be completed soon. Nuno Mendes’ exit from Sporting CP has already been made permanent, and activity is expected to pick up in the coming months as a new-look PSG project centered on serious Champions League ambitions and domestic dominance comes into focus.