Paris Saint-Germain turned down the chance to sign current FC Porto defender Alex Telles, according to a report from the Portuguese-based outlet A Bola.
The report mentions that PSG was in deep discussions with Porto for the left-back. Talks escalated to the point where PSG had the intention of signing the talent away from Porto for a €30 million fee. But the club ultimately decided not to pay up and move on to other transfer priorities. It is unclear of just when the two clubs had the transfer discussions for the Brazilian defender.
PSG’s decision to not push ahead and sign Telles likely came down to two factors. First, Telles is slated to become a free agent next year. Leonardo, PSG’s sporting director, likely may prefer to sign Telles on a free transfer if he is still available come next year.
The second possible factor comes down to PSG’s current depth at the left-back position. Manager Thomas Tuchel will have Juan Bernat, Mitchel Bakker and Layvin Kurzawa as options for the left-back position this season. Taking into account Bernat’s strong performances in the UEFA Champions League knockout stage, Leonardo may have preferred to invest €30 million in other much-needed priorities.
It remains to be seen if PSG will change course and decide to pay up the €30 million transfer fee for Telles.
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