Monaco Coach Jardim Explains Aymen Abdennour’s Absence Amid Transfer Talks
AS Monaco’s sluggish start to the season continued with a draw at Toulouse on Ligue 1 matchday 3, following a 1-3 defeat to Valencia in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off. Notably absent again was Aymen Abdennour, the club’s standout defender, who is yet to feature this season.
Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim addressed the Tunisian international’s situation in an interview with L’Équipe, citing transfer negotiations as the key reason behind his omission.
“It depends on a lot of things,” Jardim said. “A transfer like this only happens two or three times in a player’s life. We’re protecting Abdennour because playing him in a high-intensity official match right now would carry a serious risk of injury.”
Jardim acknowledged the difficulties of balancing the club’s transfer strategy with competitive results:
“I’m glad you understand that the Monaco project isn’t easy. Waiting until the last few days to sell or buy players is our project—we believe in it, but it’s not easy to win at the same time.”
With top European clubs reportedly circling, Abdennour’s departure seems imminent, and Monaco is keen to avoid jeopardizing a potential transfer by risking his fitness.
