AS Monaco close to €30M record deal for Nantes striker Matthis Abline

AS Monaco has taken the lead in the race for Matthis Abline, and their persistence is nearing a payoff. After several months of negotiations, the 23-year-old striker is close to joining the Principality club.

Monaco has submitted multiple offers to Nantes officials for the forward—the first of which was drawn up as early as April, as previously reported. The two clubs are now approaching an agreement.

Record Transfer Fee

The transfer is expected to be worth around €30 million, which would be a record amount in FC Nantes' history. This significantly surpasses the €20 million (excluding bonuses) received for Nathan Zézé, who was sold last summer to Neom in Saudi Arabia.

Player's Approval and Contract Terms

Abline—who is under contract with Nantes until June 2028—has already given his approval to sign with Monaco. He considers the project the most convincing option to give a new direction to his career after a lackluster season, which ended with 6 goals and 3 assists in Ligue 1, followed by relegation to Ligue 2.

If the deal goes through as hoped by all parties, the former France U21 international will sign a 5-year contract with his future club.

Competition for the Striker

Monaco would thus beat out competition from:

• Paris FC, which returned to the case a year after already attempting to recruit the versatile striker trained at Stade Rennais
• Crystal Palace, which had not made a concrete move but reportedly had Abline's name at the top of their shortlist

Monaco's Financial Situation

Although AS Monaco is subject to a salary cap and will need to sell heavily to balance its books—with players such as Akliouche, Balogun, Camara, or Golovin potentially departing—the club remains able to pursue a few expensive, targeted transfers. These include the central striker position (with Abline) and the right winger role, as Monaco seeks a replacement for Maghnes Akliouche, who should soon submit a fourth offer for the French international.