A Champions League winner who was once linked with a switch to both Chelsea and Liverpool looks set to end his long association with his current club.
Premier League clubs are always on the lookout for top talent, and top-quality centre-backs are always highly coveted, as the tug of war over Marc Guehi demonstrates.
Whilst Liverpool remain on the hunt for cover in defence this season, Chelsea did their business early by securing the signing of Jorrel Hato from Ajax.
However, the fact that neither is interested in Presnel Kimpembe shows just how difficult the PSG centre-back has found the last few seasons, as injuries have disrupted his glittering career.
Paris Saint-Germain v FC Internazionale Milano - UEFA Champions League Final 2025
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Presnel Kimpembe set to leave Paris Saint-Germain
Once one of the most highly-rated centre-backs in Europe, Kimpembe will leave PSG this summer, according to a report in Le Parisien.
Linked with Liverpool in 2017 under Jurgen Klopp and Chelsea as recently as March 2025, Kimpembe was part of the France squad that won the 2013 FIFA World Cup and eight Ligue 1 title-winning squads with his club.
However, Kimpembe injured his Achilles tendon in February 2023, which effectively ruled him out of action for two years as he struggled to recover from the injury.
Speaking to BeIn Sports after his comeback match in March 2025, Kimpembe admitted that it was emotional to return, stating: “Of course, there’s lots of emotion. After almost two years out, it makes me happy, it’s mad. I’m a warrior, a soldier.”
Despite returning to take a place on the bench in PSG’s Champions League final win over Inter Milan, Kimpembe now looks set to leave his hometown club, where he came through the academy to make 285 appearances.
With Le Parisien stating that Kimpembe needs to find a sporting project which “allows him to find rhythm, intensity and excitement in a new environment”, it appears his chances of playing in the Premier League are now slim.
Celebrations Continue In Paris Following Paris Saint-Germain's UEFA Champions League Final 2025 Win
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How close did Chelsea come to signing Kimpembe?
For the player and Chelsea, there will always be a question of what might have been, as he came close to moving to West London on several occasions.
The nearest miss appears to be in 2022, when a report in the Sun suggested that the France World Cup winner had asked PSG to allow him to explore his options.
At the time, PSG would have demanded a transfer fee of around £60 million as Kimpembe’s star was very much in the ascendancy at the time.
However, the move never materialised and Kimpembe remained at his current club, going on to finally help them lift the Champions League in what appears likely to be his final season.