PSG still on the hunt for striker, says Emery

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Unai Emery says they still hope to sign a striker before the close of the transfer window.

The Ligue 1 champions spent a reported €42million on attacking midfielder Julian Draxler but are said to be keen to bring in a player to provide competition for Edinson Cavani at the spearhead of the attack.

Director of football Patrick Kluivert stated last week that at least one more player will arrive before the end of the month, though he insisted that PSG will not buy for the sake of buying.

And Emery says they are still on the hunt for a centre-forward who can bring sufficient quality to the squad.

“My words don’t change. The club has said the same. If the market offers us a player who can improve us, we’re open to it,” he told a news conference on Friday.

“You need competition, two players per position. The performances grow with competition. We’re still looking.”

Jese Rodriguez has been widely expected to leave Parc des Princes but no deal has been agreed as yet, despite reported interest from Middlesbrough this week.

Emery says he has spoken to the former Real Madrid man about the possibility of a loan move, though he would not specify any potential suitors.

“I talked with him because, like [Layvin] Kurzawa, he is ill, he has a fever,” said Emery. “I wanted to talk to him about his situation, about a possible loan. We have to find the best solution for him and the team.”

PSG travel to Nantes on Saturday looking to put further pressure on Ligue 1’s top two, Monaco and Nice, although Emery expects a difficult game against a team who have won their last four league games without conceding a goal.

“Nantes are confident – it’ll be a tough match,” he said. “They play well together, they press well and they have an effective transition into attack. It’s a good match for us to show our progress.”