Paris FC have signalled their intention to disrupt the established order in Ligue 1 by completing the eye-catching signing of Lassine Sinayoko, the prolific Auxerre forward who was one of the standout attackers in France last season.
The move is the latest statement of ambition from the capital club since its takeover in November 2024 by the Arnault family, backed by energy drinks giant Red Bull, which holds a 10% minority stake. The new ownership has accelerated Paris FC’s transformation from survival battlers into a team openly targeting European qualification.
From survival fight to long-term Ligue 1 project
Back in the top flight last season, Paris FC avoided an immediate return to Ligue 2 by finishing 11th, thanks largely to an impressive turnaround engineered by Antoine Kombouare, who arrived in the close season and steered the team away from danger.
This summer, however, the club’s strategy has shifted from consolidation to clear upward ambition. Kombouare has been replaced by Liam Rosenior, widely praised for his work at Strasbourg and briefly on the coaching staff at Chelsea. His arrival has coincided with a major recruitment drive aimed at rapidly elevating the squad’s level.
In addition to Sinayoko, Paris FC have brought in Pablo Pagis, Patrick Zabi and Diego Coppola, strengthening a group that already included attacking talents Moses Simon, Ilan Kebbal and Jonathan Ikone.
The goal is explicit: Paris FC want to avoid becoming a yo-yo club and instead establish themselves as a permanent fixture in Ligue 1, initially aiming for a top-10 finish and then pushing for European places. Within that plan, the double offensive addition of Sinayoko and Pagis is central.
Sinayoko arrives after career-best season
During six seasons with Auxerre’s first team, Malian international Lassine Sinayoko developed into the side’s talisman in attack – the natural leader of the frontline and the man relied upon in key moments. His progression was steady, and he consistently maintained high standards at the top level.
Last term, his final campaign with Auxerre, was the most prolific of his career. Sinayoko scored 12 goals in 32 matches, outstripping his closest attacking team-mates Bryan Okoh and Danny Namasso, who each managed just three. The gap underlined how decisively he carried Auxerre’s offensive threat.
At Paris FC, that hierarchy will look very different.
Fierce competition in Paris attack
Sinayoko will now have to assert himself amid far greater competition for places at the Stade Jean-Bouin. Rosenior’s squad is stacked with forwards who also enjoyed strong seasons.
Pablo Pagis scored 10 goals in Ligue 1 last year, Ilan Kebbal added nine, and Jonathan Ikone contributed seven. Moses Simon, whose potential remains considerable, could yet rediscover his most dangerous form.
In this context, Sinayoko – nicknamed “Lasso” – will not be the undisputed main man as he was at Auxerre. Instead, he will need to prove that he can lead beyond the familiar environment of AJA while embracing a more collective approach in a multi-threat attack.
With Paris FC’s new project backed by serious financial muscle and strategic support from Red Bull, expectations are rising quickly. For Sinayoko, often described as an eagle in full flight, the challenge now is to spread his wings even wider and show he can be the standard-bearer for a club aiming to crash Ligue 1’s established elite.
