Emery wants Matuidi to stay at PSG amid Juventus links

Blaise Matuidi could remain a Paris Saint-Germain player despite reported interest from Chelsea and Juventus after head coach Unai Emery reiterated his desire to keep the midfielder.

Matuidi has been linked with a switch to the Serie A giants as a replacement for Paul Pogba, with Thiago Motta and Marco Verratti among the team-mates who have urged the France international to stay at PSG.

Emery used Matuidi as a substitute in the champions’ opening two Ligue 1 games as they made a 100 per cent start to their latest title defence but the Turk hopes to keep Matuidi, with the transfer window closing on Wednesday.

“I explained last week,” Emery told reporters ahead of PSG’s trip to Monaco on Sunday.

“The president [Nasser Al-Khelaifi] said he has a contract with the club and I want him to stay here.

“I’m in a great club with great players and I want the best team. I do not want them to leave, I want them to stay with me.

“Many left: [Jean-Christophe] Bahebeck, [Benjamin] Stambouli, [Salvatore] Sirigu, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic. We have 20 players in the group and that’s a good number.

“But I understand that for all great teams, the door is not closed and nothing is finished until August 31. For us to improve, the door must remain open and I do not close it.”

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri refused to dismiss links to Matuidi at his news conference on Friday after the club’s chief executive Giuseppe Marotta said he was “optimistic” a deal could be done for the 29-year-old.

“I don’t talk about players from other teams,” Allegri said. “If the director said that it is his responsibility.

“At the moment we’re thinking of Lazio. From now until after tomorrow, there’s a break, then there will be four days where there is a flood of transfer stories.”

After beating Bastia and Metz without conceding a goal in their opening league games, Emery believes Monaco will pose a sterner test on Sunday.

“They are a good team, which is in the Champions League,” Emery said.

“For us, this is the third game of the championship but a difficult move. Monaco have good players and they are strong at home.

“Before the international break, it is very important not only to win but also to make a good match. Sunday will be a good challenge for us.”