To say Monaco’s transfer window was a successful one might seem a little facetious, but Leonardo Jardim won’t be too displeased with the outcome.

From a revenue point of view success of course is an obvious conclusion. €90m for two relatively replaceable players in Benjamin Mendy and Tiémoué Bakayoko amid €350m worth of sales amounts to superb business. Along with Bernardo Silva, the losses of Bakayoko and Mendy were envisaged. While considering possible further damage, Monaco will be content with the state of their squad as it stands. Despite the fact that Thomas Lemar and Fabinho were close to leaving, Monaco eventually decided to halt PSG advances for the Brazilian and while Arsenal and Liverpool were close to snaring the young Frenchman, Lemar, for now, has decided to stay and both men remain crucial to Monaco’s season.

This despite the fact that Arsène Wenger has stated, rather ominously, that Arsenal would be back for Lemar. Although losing Mbappé to rivals PSG is tough to take, €180m (eventually) for a player that they have proven they are capable of living without, one that they wouldn’t be able to hold on to for more than another year anyway and an individual that they paid nothing for in the first place should be seen as a good deal, despite Mbappé’s supreme talent.

For the most part, Monaco have had things their way, the large turnover a necessary part of their model. Acquisitions of the exuberant Keita Baldé and Youri Tielemans, the arrivals of Ligue 1 prospects Rony Lopes (returning from loan) and Adama Diakhaby as well as the shrewd €11m pick up of Stevan Jovetic equals an astute end to business with the club quietly confident that they can usurp PSG once more.

A.W.

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