Red Bull trying hard to poach Paul Magnier with a monster salary, but his answer is clear: 'They trust me too'

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe hopes to make a move for Paul Magnier. The 22-year-old Frenchman has a contract with Soudal Quick-Step through the end of 2029. According to L'Equipe, several teams are interested in him. Red Bull is one of them, and their history with Remco Evenepoel has shown that they do have a chance with Quick-Step.

Magnier has had a fantastic 2026 so far. The sprint specialist won two stages at the Tour of the Algarve, but after a somewhat disappointing spring, he really stood out with three stage wins and the purple jersey in the points classification at the Giro d'Italia. After a break, Magnier returned in June and won almost immediately at the Muur Classic Geraardsbergen.

After being beaten several times by Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) in the Tour of Poland, Magnier did go on to win the ADAC Cyclassics and then also claimed victory in the final stage of the Lidl Deutschland Tour. That brings his tally to 8 victories, bringing his total to 32 wins in his still-young career.

Magnier’s progress has, of course, not gone unnoticed by the other teams in the peloton. Everyone would love to have such a strong climber and sprinter on their roster, but Soudal Quick-Step would have to be persuaded by an excellent offer. Buying out his contract, which runs through the end of 2029, will be quite a challenge.

According to L'Equipe, Red Bull reportedly has the largest budget in the peloton and is actively seeking riders who can bring the team not only general classification wins but also victories in one-day races and sprints. Magnier’s agent has already been approached, but the Frenchman himself does not seem all that interested in a transfer just yet.

"I feel really good at Soudal Quick-Step," the top talent emphasized when asked. "I have an excellent lead-out and always have someone controlling the race. Red Bull is building a strong team, but I trust my team 100 percent, and they trust me too. Together with Jürgen Foré (team director, ed.), we’re trying to build a team around me for the classics and the sprints.”