Thiago Motta leads the race to take over PSG's manager position

PSG find themselves restarting their search for a new coach after there was an unexpected turn and a breakup in the negotiations they were having with Julian Nagelsmann. After that, it seems like Thiago Motta, currently coaching Italian side Bologna, has emerged as the frontrunner to be hired by the Parisian club.

After a single season at the helm, Christophe Galtier will not be retained by PSG and instead, the Frenchman will be fired and officially kicked out of Paris soon before his deal runs out in June 2024. However, the official announcement of Galtier's departure has not yet been made as the PSG board is still searching for his replacement.

Recent reports painted Nagelsmann as the no. 1 candidate nearly and virtually appointing him already, although the latest information revealed by L'Equipe on Saturday confirmed just the opposite: Nagelsmann is no longer considered for the position.

Matteo Moretto, a football insider working for Relevo, is reporting on Saturday morning that "Thiago Motta has now emerged as the leading candidate" to take over the head coach position at PSG. Motta has been a favorite of PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi for a long time, and this could be the best chance for both men to agree to a deal.

According to Moretto, meetings are set to take place between Motta and PSG "in the coming hours" as the Parisian club want "to advance the discussions with Motta." It should be noted that Motta is currently under contract with Bologna until 2024, which means PSG would need to compensate the Serie A side if they want to hire him before his deal runs out a year from now.

Motta guided Bologna to a mid-table, 9th-place finish in Serie A last season. He has been only considered a backup option if negotiations with Nagelsmann failed, so in the event of PSG hiring him then Paris might be landing their Plan B, if not their Plan C, Plan D, or Plan E... That said, it's not that the alternatives and more-liked options (such as Luis Enrique or Xabi Alonso) are even realistic at all.

With Christophe Galtier's sacking about to be made official and Julian Nagelsmann out of the race, PSG is facing an uphill battle to appoint someone they like in time to get things started when the postseason comes around in July.