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

AS Monaco has moved ahead of the competition and is nearing a breakthrough after months of negotiations for Matthis Abline. The 23-year-old striker is edging closer to joining the Principality club.

Monaco has submitted several offers to Nantes' directors—with the first proposal made as early as April, as previously reported on this site—and the two clubs are now close to reaching an agreement.

Record Transfer Fee for Nantes

The transfer is expected to be worth approximately €30 million, which would set a new record in FC Nantes' history. This figure 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 Details

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 his career a new direction after a mixed season that ended with:

• 6 goals in Ligue 1
• 3 assists
• Relegation to Ligue 2

If the deal goes through as expected by all parties, the former France U21 international will sign a five-year contract with his future club. Abline was not called up to the Nantes squad for the friendly match scheduled this Tuesday against La Roche (5:30 PM).

Competition Beaten

Monaco has fended off interest from:

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

Monaco's Transfer Strategy

Although AS Monaco is subject to salary cap restrictions and will need to sell players to balance its books—with names such as Akliouche, Balogun, Camara, or Golovin potentially on the market—the club remains able to pursue a few expensive, targeted transfers.

Key positions under consideration include:

• Central striker: with Abline as the primary target
• Right winger: to find a replacement for Maghnes Akliouche

Meanwhile, PSG—the heavy favorite in the race to sign the French international—is expected to make a fourth offer soon, which would come very close to the €50 million fixed fee demanded by Monaco's management.