Parc des Princes sale to PSG, talks restart and summer could be decisive | OneFootball

The thaw between Paris City Hall and PSG has moved a step, with new mayor Emmanuel Grégoire due at the Parc des Princes on Friday. According to L'Équipe, this is a fresh opening in long-stalled talks over a possible sale of the stadium, although major hurdles remain and the summer could prove decisive.

He is set to attend PSG v Toulouse at 20.45, the opening fixture of Ligue 1 matchday 28. It would be the first visit by a Paris mayor in years, after Anne Hidalgo stayed away amid icy relations with Nasser al-Khelaïfi.

The invitation from the European champions followed the club and Al-Khelaïfi congratulating Grégoire after his 22 March election. PSG could not guarantee on Thursday that Al-Khelaïfi would attend, and if he does not, the symbolism weakens. If they sit together, photographers would likely capture the scene.

Grégoire first wants a mandate from the Council of Paris, with a session planned in April and mid-April floated but not confirmed. With that in hand, he can resume official contact and intensify talks, supported by Pierre Rabadan, now deputy for Tourism and nightlife yet still working on the file. Maxime Sauvage, Rabadan’s successor for sport, is also expected to be involved, while former PSG executive Jean-Claude Blanc left in early 2023.

The city must also ask the Domaines to set an official sale price, a step not yet taken. PSG previously offered €38 million, which raised eyebrows at City Hall. Pricing is complicated by whether the club also seeks the surrounding land, from the Stade Géo André to the Total station and its car park, and by who would fund the ring road covering sought by Grégoire, so any figure is likely to be a global price that factors in expansion works.

Given the scale of the project, several working meetings will be needed even if both sides want to move quickly. Grégoire has said he hopes to reach an agreement by late summer. PSG has said it will decide in the autumn after completing feasibility studies on Poissy and Massy as potential stadium sites.

Source: L'Équipe