Paris Saint-Germain relieved sporting director Leonardo of his duties on Saturday, and are set to appoint Luis Campos as his successor, sources told ESPN.
ESPN reported that Campos was the favourite for the job after his name was put forward by Kylian Mbappe, who signed a three-year deal to stay in Paris on Saturday.
– O’Hanlon: What Mbappe’s decision means for PSG, Real and himself
– Marcotti: Mbappe soap opera is over for now, but questions remain
Campos, 57, is one of the most respected sporting directors in Europe. He built the Mbappe-led Monaco team that that lifted the Ligue 1 title in 2017, and oversaw the Lille side that achieved the same feat in 2021.
Campos left Lille in December 2020 and was waiting for a big club to come calling, while assisting the project at Celta Vigo in the meantime.
Talks between the Portuguese and PSG progressed well on Sunday, sources told ESPN, and an agreement is expected to be announced on Monday.
Campos, Mbapp and Mbappe’s family are very close since their time in Monaco where Campos watched over the young prodigy and helped him grow.
One of the big factors leading to the 23-year-old France forward staying in Paris was that Leonardo would leave his director’s role and be replaced by Campos.
The new sporting director can expect a busy summer. PSG are likely to sack Mauricio Pochettino if they find a suitable replacement. Zinedine Zidane is at the top of the club’s list of prospective managers, sources added, but they could face a hard time convincing the former Real Madrid coach to take over the job.
PSG will need to offload players, especially in midfield, to make prospective moves for four of their top targets in Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie de Jong, Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Lille’s Renato Sanches.
