Ranking Paris Saint-Germain's Newest Signings (so far)
Where did PSG get it right, and where did they get it wrong when it comes to their summer transfer business.
It’s been a busy week for Paris Saint-Germain. After weeks of rumor and speculation, the club finally made several signings official on social media.
Five new players have officially signed contracts with PSG, with Hugo Ekitiké also completing his move from Stade de Reims after a season on loan at the capital club. There’s also an additional signing that’s been all but confirmed but is yet to be announced.
Some players will slot right into the starting lineup, while others must prove their quality to earn playing time. With preseason training set to begin this month, I’ve ranked PSG’s newest signings one to six (excluding Ekitiké), with one being the best and most vital signing of the summer and five being the one I have some questions about.
1. Manuel Ugarte
The former Sporting CP midfielder is PSG’s priciest summer transfer at €60 million. PSG battled Chelsea FC for his signature, but ultimately, it was PSG that paid the release clause and offered the more attractive wage structure.
Ugarte is going to slot right into the midfield from day one. Luis Campos, PSG’s sporting advisor, and new manager, Luis Enrique, envision Ugarte doing the defensive dirty work in midfield.
According to stats from Squawka, Ugarte averaged more tackles and interceptions combined per 90 minutes than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. He also recorded the most tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes in Europe’s top seven leagues this past season.
Ugarte’s defensive work rate will allow Marco Verratti more freedom in the midfield and hopefully reduce the number of yellow cards he receives. Last season, PSG’s midfield was unable to keep possession against elite teams and struggled to create. Ugarte unlocks all of that for PSG, and if he’s able to replicate his Sporting efforts in the French capital, the club’s midfield woes could finally be over.
2. Milan Škriniar
Truth be told, PSG could have used Milan Škriniar when his signing was made semi-official last January. PSG was forced to play midfielder Danilo Pereira and 18-year-old El Chadaille Bitshiabu at center-back in key matches, and it cost them dearly.
Les Parisiens are woefully thin at center-back, with Sergio Ramos moving on and Presnel Kimpembe recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered earlier this year. Marquinhos is really the only true center-back in the squad currently, so Škriniar’s arrival is desperately needed.
Škriniar was arguably Inter Milan’s best defender and captain of the club until he was stripped of that honor due to his contract situation and reports that he was interested in signing for PSG last January.
Despite being an elite defender in his prime, there is a major concern surrounding the 28-year-old Slovakia international. In April, Škriniar underwent “endoscopic surgery on his lumbar spine,” according to a statement from Inter Milan.
Whenever you hear “back surgery” you immediately worry because it’s a part of the body that, once it breaks down, can lead to rapid decline and further injury. If Škriniar can stay healthy, he will undoubtedly stand with Marquinhos to be PSG’s starting center-back pairing. Throw in the fact that Škriniar arrives on a free transfer, and he’s easily my second-best signing of the summer so far.
3. Marco Asensio
Marco Asensio is another free transfer, and the former Real Madrid man will be relied upon to help fill the shoes of the outgoing Lionel Messi. No pressure.
Last season, Asensio scored nine goals and recorded six assists in 31 La Liga appearances. In the UEFA Champions League, he tacked on three goals and one assist in 12 appearances.
Those numbers don’t necessarily instill a lot of confidence that he can replace Messi’s 16 goals and 16 assists in 32 Ligue 1 appearances, but consider the competition in the Madrid squad. Asensio rarely was able to play a full 90 minutes. In fact, he only went the distance in La Liga seven times in those 31 appearances.
At PSG, Asensio will likely start on the right wing opposite of Kylian Mbappé (if he stays). With Achraf Hakimi at right-back, I’m looking forward to seeing how those two players overlap on the right side and create scoring opportunities for Neymar Jr. and Mbappé.
The Spain international is only 27 years old, and despite three Champions League titles to his name, Asensio will have plenty to prove at PSG. I expect he will perform better than most supporters expect.
4. Kang-in Lee
Kang-in Lee has already etched his name into the PSG record books by becoming the first player from South Korea to wear the Rouge et Bleu.
Lee arrives from RCD Mallorca for a transfer fee of €22 million, and considering Campos’ eye for talent, this somewhat under-the-radar signing has me excited that PSG has found a diamond in the rough—similar to when PSG signed Verratti in 2012 from Pescara.
The reason I have Lee fourth on my list is that I don’t see him being a regular starter this season unless he flashes some world-class ability. Instead, I see him being more of a utility player for PSG, as he can play in his preferred attacking midfield position or out on the wings.
Having a versatile player and adding quality depth to the squad was at the top of PSG’s list this summer, and they’ve taken a big step in accomplishing that with the signing of Lee.
5. Lucas Hernández
Sigh…I’m just not very thrilled about the signing of Lucas Hernández from FC Bayern Munich.
For starters, PSG paid €45 million for a player recovering from an ACL tear. We have no idea what kind of player he will be once he does recover. It should be noted that Bayern used that transfer fee to replace Hernández with Napoli’s Kim Min-jae, who is younger, healthier, and has a brighter upside.
I’m just not sure why PSG would spend big on a defender recovering from a serious injury when they already have Škriniar, who has his own injury concerns. I’m a big fan of Axel Disasi from AS Monaco and OGC Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo, and both players could be had for around the same transfer fee, if not less.
Then there’s the whole Marseille connection. Hernández was born in Marseille, and despite saying all the right things, “Ici C’est Paris,” in his first interview as a member of PSG, some of the Ultras aren’t thrilled about his arrival, and if the France international gets off to a slow start, things could get ugly.
No Ranking: Cher Ndour
Cher Ndour’s signing hasn’t been made official, but it’s only a matter of time. For that reason, I’m not giving him a ranking but make no mistake about it; I couldn’t be more excited about Ndour’s arrival.
Let’s start with the basics. The 18-year-old Benfica B and Italy Under-19 midfielder stands six feet, two inches and has been compared to Paul Pogba. Several top clubs were interested in signing Ndour, including AC Milan, Juventus FC, Manchester City, and Manchester United.
PSG ultimately won out, which is surprising because it’s not every day that one of the top young prospects in football chooses a club like PSG. The last one probably being Xavi Simons from FC Barcelona in 2019.
What comes next for Ndour will be very interesting. There have been conflicting reports regarding whether PSG will send Ndour out on loan. PSG may want to see him in training and preseason before ultimately making a decision, but considering that 17-year-old Warren Zaïre-Emery is expected to be a regular contributor this season, as well as Bitshiabu, I could see Ndour sticking around this season and earning some playing time.