AS Monaco close to €30m agreement with Nantes for Matthis Abline | OneFootball

AS Monaco are close to agreeing a deal with Nantes for Matthis Abline, in a transfer worth around €30m that would be a club-record sale for the Canaris, according to L'Équipe.

The 23-year-old forward has already agreed to join the Principality and would sign a five-year contract if the move is completed. Talks have run for months, with Monaco submitting several bids since April.

The fee would surpass the €20m, excluding add-ons, received for Nathan Zézé when he joined Neom in Saudi Arabia last summer.

Abline is under contract at Nantes until June 2028. After a mixed campaign of six league goals and three assists that ended in relegation to Ligue 2, he was not included in the squad for Tuesday’s friendly against La Roche at 17:30.

Monaco would beat interest from Paris FC, back in for him a year after an earlier attempt, and Crystal Palace, who had placed him at the top of their shortlist without making a concrete move. The versatile forward developed at Stade Rennais.

Operating under wage-bill controls, Monaco will need major sales to balance their accounts, potentially involving Akliouche, Balogun, Camara or Golovine. Even so, they can still target a small number of costly deals, including a right winger to replace Maghnes Akliouche. Paris Saint-Germain are favourites for the France international and are expected to lodge a fourth bid close to the €50m fixed fee sought by Monaco.

Source: L'Équipe