It’s only August but FC Nantes’ Ligue 1 season is already spiralling out of control. Les Canaris have lost their two opening games – at home against Toulouse (1-2) and at Lille (0-2) – whilst France international goalkeeper Alban Lafont has also been lost to a serious injury.
To make matters worse, under-pressure Nantes manager Pierre Aristouy has to deal now with the case revolving around Jean-Charles Castelletto (28). The Cameroonian international centre-back has asked to leave the struggling Ligue 1 club. It would be difficult for Nantes to find a suitable replacement for the former Stade Brestois defender before the end of the summer transfer window next week.
An unimpressed Aristouy gave his view on the matter in his pre-game press conference, attended by Ouest-France. Nantes will kick off Ligue 1’s third gameweek of action by hosting current leaders Monaco at La Beaujoire. “I think this is not the right solution“, lamented the former Nantes forward. “If there’s a problem, it should have been settled a long time ago. I am no fan of these kinds of methods. The only thing that matters to me is the club’s interests. I don’t like it when they are flouted.“
Aristouy added that he didn’t expect Castelletto – who is tied to a contract set to expire in 2026 – to force a move away from Nantes amid centre-back Andrei Girotto’s sale to Saudi Arabian club Al-Tawoon. The Nantes boss had previously labelled the versatile and reliable Girotto as “unsellable.” “In terms of quality and quantity, these two players need to be replaced.” With Castelletto not expected to feature against Les Monégasques, Aristouy will need to revamp his defence because youth product Nathan Zézé is set for a 1-month spell on the sidelines due to appendicitis. “It’s not the best way to prepare a game against a team that has scored seven goals in two league games.“
GFFN | Bastien Cheval
