AS Monaco manager Filipe Luis has credited Pep Guardiola, Unai Emery and Luis Enrique among the figures who have influenced his approach to coaching after making an immediate impact in the Principality.

The Brazilian moved to Europe this summer following a successful spell in charge of Flamengo, and his start with Monaco has been impressive.

Monaco went into the international break at the top of Ligue 1, having also secured a notable victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes.

In an interview with L’Equipe, Filipe Luis described Luis Enrique as the best manager in the world at present, while explaining that several coaches had helped shape his managerial outlook.

“I have quite a few sources of inspiration, like Pep Guardiola and Unai Emery, whom I visited in March, but I have my own approach,” he said.

Filipe Luis added that Monaco’s tactical development was still incomplete and that he expected the team’s physical levels to improve as the season progressed.

“We haven’t yet reached where I want us to be tactically. With matches, bodies will adapt to the effort,” he said.

“We will run more in November and then again in Decembermore and better, I hope. That is the only way to do big things.”

Monaco will look to protect their position at the top of the French championship when they host Toulouse at Stade Louis II on Saturday, 10 October.

The match, part of the sixth round, will be refereed by Ruddy Buquet.

Monaco have taken 13 points from their opening five matches and are the only unbeaten side mentioned in the fixture’s form comparison. They have won four games and drawn one, scoring eight goals and conceding three for a goal difference of +5.

That record leaves the home side first in the table, and they will start as favourites to extend their unbeaten run to six matches.

Toulouse, by contrast, sit 13th with five points from five games. They have recorded one win, two draws and two defeats, scoring seven goals and conceding nine. Their goal difference is -2, while their two losses represent 40% of their matches this season.

The teams have met 10 times during the past six years. Monaco have won five of those games, giving them a 50% victory rate, while Toulouse have claimed two victories, or 20%. The remaining three fixtures ended in draws.

Their most recent meeting, on 25 April 2026, finished 2-2.

The historical figures give Monaco a clear advantage, although the two sides’ latest encounter ended without a winner. Monaco’s unbeaten start and home advantage also strengthen the case for the league leaders in this fixture.

Toulouse have shown enough to suggest they can compete, but their current league position and results leave them behind Monaco in both form and standings.

The prediction is for a Monaco victory.

PSG will host Le Mans at Parc des Princes on Saturday, 10 October 2026, in the sixth round of the French championship, with Matthieu Vernice appointed as referee.

Paris Saint-Germain have the clear advantage in the history of this fixture. The teams have met 10 times, with PSG winning seven games, drawing once and losing twice. That record gives the Paris club a 70% win rate in the fixture, compared with 20% for Le Mans, while 10% of the matches have ended level.

The most recent encounter came on 4 February 2025 in the Coupe de France. PSG won 2-0, continuing a run which has seen them avoid defeat to Le Mans in each of their past four meetings.

The sides also met in the last 16 of the Coupe de la Ligue in 2019, when PSG recorded a 4-1 victory. Their 2-0 success in the last 16 of the 2025 Coupe de France is the latest result in the series.

Le Mans have therefore won only two of the 10 matches between the clubs and were beaten in the most recent meeting. The historical record, as well as the teams’ comparative level, points towards another difficult test for the visitors.

Playing at home, PSG are expected to take the initiative and will be targeting victory. Le Mans are regarded as a strong side, but the club from Le Mans trail PSG both in the head-to-head record and in the history of the contest.

The prediction is for a PSG victory.

AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun says he remains open to returning to the Premier League after deciding against a summer move to Everton.

A proposed £40M transfer from Monaco to Merseyside fell through on transfer deadline day when the USMNT international changed his mind and withdrew from the deal.

Sources close to Balogun said he was unhappy with the way Everton conducted his medical and handled the negotiations that followed. The former Arsenal player did not feel comfortable continuing with the transfer discussions.

Monaco chief executive Thiago Scuro has suggested the club could be prepared to sell Balogun during the January window, while the 25-year-old has not ruled out a move back to England.

Asked whether a return to the Premier League remained possible, Balogun said: “Yes, potentially I could move back to England.

“Football has many twists and turns as we saw after the World Cup.

“I was close to a transfer, it didn’t materialise, but for sure it’s definitely an option.”

Paris Saint-Germain have responded on social media to Lionel Messi’s departure from international football with Argentina.

Messi’s final appearance for the Albiceleste came in the match against Benin during the night of 6 to 7 October. The 39-year-old marked the occasion with a goal and two assists.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward made 208 appearances for Argentina, scoring 126 goals.

Messi played for Paris Saint-Germain between 2021 and 2023.

Manchester City could be forced to sell several of their leading players in 2027 if they receive a historic punishment for alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.

The club have been found guilty of serious financial violations covering nine seasons, from 2009/10 to 2017/18. The case centres on allegations that sham contracts were used to inflate revenue and understate costs by more than £900M.

A punishment could see Manchester City expelled from the Premier League or stripped of their titles, with significant consequences for the club and their squad.

Manchester City deny the findings and have appealed against them. However, reports suggest the club have very little chance of avoiding a historic sanction, raising the possibility that they may need to begin selling key players.

According to reports from TEAMtalk, PSG and Liverpool have already identified one Manchester City player they would be interested in signing if the club were required to offload members of their squad.

Rayan Cherki is reportedly on the radar of both clubs. The France international endured a mixed first season in England after moving to Manchester City, but has made a strong start to the 2026/27 campaign.

Cherki has scored four goals and provided two assists so far this season. He remains under contract with Manchester City until 2030, while his transfer value is estimated at around €90M.

PSG and Liverpool could therefore emerge as rivals for Cherki’s signature if Manchester City are compelled to sell players as a result of the ongoing financial case.

Former Manchester United and Juventus defender Patrice Evra has announced the death of his mother, Juliette, following her battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Evra paid tribute to her in an emotional video shared on social media. Fighting back tears, he performed “Avant qu’elle parte” by Sexion d’Assaut in her memory.

Juliette had endured several serious health challenges over the years, including the amputation of her left leg in 2010.

Evra previously played for both Juventus and Manchester United.

Olympique Lyon are considering whether to pursue a permanent deal for Lois Openda when his season-long loan from Juventus expires next summer.

The Belgium international joined the Ligue 1 club after finding it difficult to establish himself at the Serie A side. Lyon paid a €3 million loan fee for the 26-year-old, but their agreement does not include an option to buy.

A permanent transfer remains a realistic possibility, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, who told Tutto Juve that the outcome could depend largely on Lyon’s performances during the current campaign.

Openda previously made a strong impression in Ligue 1 with RC Lens before moving abroad. He will now be aiming to regain that form during his return to France at the Groupama Stadium.

Lyon’s prospects of signing him outright could be strengthened by a successful domestic season. Qualification for the Champions League would provide both a sporting and financial incentive for the club to approach Juventus about a permanent transfer next summer.

Olympique Lyon defender Moussa Niakhate will miss Friday night’s Ligue 1 trip to RC Lens after suffering a hamstring injury.

The Senegal international is also considered doubtful for Lyon’s UEFA Europa League meeting with Crystal Palace on 15 October, according to L’Equipe.

Niakhate withdrew from the Teranga Lions squad during the international break and returned to Lyon to continue his recovery.

The 30-year-old has become an important member of the Lyon defence and has rarely been rested despite the club competing on several fronts this season.

Niakhate has made eight appearances in all competitions so far, including three Champions League qualifying matches.

Juventus are preparing to advance negotiations over a January move for Marseille midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that initial contact has already been made with representatives of the 31-year-old Denmark international, with further discussions expected in the near future.

Hojbjerg stayed at Marseille during the summer despite reports that the Ligue 1 club were keen to sell him because of financial difficulties.

A proposed transfer to Newcastle United fell through after Hojbjerg turned down the move. Marseille then removed him as captain.

However, the midfielder continues to have the support of manager Bruno Genesio and remains a regular member of the Marseille side.

Hojbjerg is understood to be willing to leave the French club if he can join an ambitious project at a leading European club, a stance that could allow Juventus to pursue a deal in January.

Paris Saint-Germain have included the BETBOOM friendly between Russia and Nigeria in their schedule for 6 October, even though goalkeeper Matvey Safonov will not take part in the match.

The French club published an image featuring two international fixtures on that date involving national teams to which PSG players had been called up: Russia v Nigeria and Croatia v Spain.

Safonov has already left the Russia squad and missed the team’s match against Namibia.

The announcement is notable because PSG issued a separate list at the end of September naming five international fixtures involving their players, but did not include Russia’s match against Iran.

Safonov remained with the national team on that occasion and played in Russia’s victory over Iran.

Benfica are interested in signing Rennes attacking midfielder and France international Esteban Lepol, according to transfer insider Ekrem Konur.

The Lisbon club are reported to be making a concerted effort to secure the French winger, who has emerged as a potential addition to their squad.

Rennes value Lepol at between 50m and 60m euros. The player’s contract with the French club runs until the end of June 2030.

Lepol has made five appearances in Ligue 1 this season, scoring three goals, including one from the penalty spot.

Football expert Igor Korneev says Monaco midfielder Alexander Golovin should consider a move to Saudi Arabia rather than returning to the Russian championship if financial gain is his main motivation.

“If you are going for money, then Saudi Arabia,” Korneev told journalists when discussing the possibility of the 30-year-old returning to Russian football.

Reports last summer suggested that Zenit St Petersburg and Spartak Moscow were interested in signing Golovin.

Golovin has made six appearances for Monaco this season, scoring one goal and providing two assists. His contract with the Ligue 1 club runs until the middle of 2029.

Lille attacking midfielder Ethan Mbappe, the younger brother of Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, has been offered to Turkish league giants Fenerbahce, according to football insider Ekrem Konur.

Representatives of the 19-year-old France youth international are understood to have proposed his services to the Istanbul club through social media, Konur reported.

Ethan Mbappe’s contract with Lille is due to expire at the end of the current season. His transfer value is estimated at 12 million euros.

Mbappe has made five appearances for Lille in the French league this season, scoring one goal. Although listed as an attacking midfielder, he has also been used as a winger.

Former France international Bixente Lizarazu has spoken about the difficulties facing Cristiano Ronaldo, who has effectively been shown the door by the Portugal national team.

“His egoism, which was one of Ronaldo’s strengths, is now working against him,” Lizarazu said.

Cristiano Ronaldo has represented Portugal since 2003.

Alexander Golovin would “take a step backwards” if he chose to return to the RPL, according to former Russian Football Union vice-president Alexander Tukmanov.

Tukmanov said the Monaco midfielder should not go back to the Russian league while Russian clubs remain suspended from European competition.

“Everything is going well for him at Monaco, so there is no reason to change anything,” Tukmanov added.

He suggested Golovin might consider moving to an RPL club towards the end of his career.

Rising fuel prices in Europe are beginning to affect football clubs, with the French Football Federation announcing financial support for amateur sides facing increased travel costs.

Amateur clubs with limited budgets will each receive €1.5m from the federation as compensation for fuel-related expenses. The decision was reported by derbyderbyderby.it, citing the French publication RMC Sport.

The increase in fuel prices is linked to the political situation in the Middle East.

The three-year dispute between Kylian Mbappe and Paris St-Germain can now be considered over after French authorities rejected a complaint linked to the club’s treatment of the forward.

The case concerned actions by PSG during Mbappe’s final season in Paris which had been classified as psychological pressure. The decision brings an end to the legal proceedings, which intensified after the player referred the matter to the relevant authorities in May last year.

Mbappe played for PSG from 2017 to 2024. He is now the leader of Real Madrid’s attack, although he has yet to win a trophy with his new club.

Paris Saint-Germain have paid Portuguese club Braga €3.3m for priority rights over a potential future transfer for midfielder Mario Dorgeles, according to Foot Mercato.

The agreement came to light after Braga published its financial accounts. The payment was recorded as a “right of preferential choice”, giving PSG priority if the player is sold in the future.

However, the arrangement does not guarantee that Dorgeles will move to the Paris club. It means only that Paris Saint-Germain would have the first opportunity to negotiate a transfer should Braga decide to sell the midfielder.

Dorgeles joined Braga from Danish club Nordsjælland in the summer of 2025. During his first season in Portugal, he made 39 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing four assists.

The 3.3m euro payment gives PSG an advantageous position regarding any possible future deal, but Braga remain free to determine whether Dorgeles is sold. The agreement also does not confirm that the player will eventually join the French club.

Dorgeles had previously been linked with Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Brighton.

Paris Saint-Germain have marked Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s 45th birthday with a celebratory post on social media.

The former Sweden international made 180 official appearances for PSG during his career, scoring 156 goals and providing 62 assists.

Ibrahimovic played more matches for the French club than any other team he represented. His time in Paris also brought 12 trophies, including four Ligue 1 titles.

PSG currently sit sixth in the Ligue 1 table.