Retooling PSG This Summer Without Breaking the Bank
Following another Champions League failure, Paris Saint-Germain will have to be smart about how they rebuild for next season.
It is that time of year again.
Paris Saint-Germain are out of the UEFA Champions League, and thoughts are already turning towards how the French giants could rebuild this summer in order to avoid repeat disappointment next season. The dust has settled on Les Parisiens’ chances of cup success, and now Christophe Galtier and his players must concentrate on Ligue 1 and a potential record-breaking 11th title triumph. It is of little consolation to the PSG fanbase, but it remains an indisputable fact that it would be a historic domestic feat.
Who will be in charge?
Logically, it will be Galtier and Luis Campos leading the capital club next campaign and overseeing this summer’s reconstruction. That could yet change, but for now, at least, both will continue to shape the sporting project into the next term.
Who to rebuild with?
Marquinhos and Marco Verratti’s contract situations dictate that they are unlikely to leave. Still, there must be questions asked of both of them, given their presence in pretty much all of PSG’s worst moments and their recent elevated statuses. Marquinhos does not have the mental strength to be captain, so if Kylian Mbappé wants it, which seems to be the case, he can have it. Verratti’s off-pitch lifestyle is well documented, and that is unlikely to change now at 30 years of age. Instead, as has been the challenge for years now, it is about finding a way to function with him but also without him. Achraf Hakimi’s situation is also one which must be handled with extreme caution, given the nature of the charges against him despite the player’s denial and the club’s backing.
Which formation?
With those things in mind, the absolute building blocks are Mbappé, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nuno Mendes, Danilo Pereira, Warren Zaïre-Emery, and the arriving Milan Škriniar. Outside of these guys, there can at least be some debate over whether the clubs should stick or twist. Assuming that it is Galtier who will remain in charge at Parc des Princes for the 2023-24 term, then a fully fit squad should enable him to revert back to the 3-4-3 system, which fared well over the first half of this season before becoming inviable post-FIFA 2022 World Cup. With that in mind, this is how the team could be set up based on current squad members and Škriniar’s summer arrival.
Goalkeeper: Donnarumma pretty much picks himself here, and he deserves credit for some good individual displays despite a wretched clean sheet record which owes more to a horrible defense than his own form.
Defense: Marquinhos, Škriniar and Kimpembe or Danilo. Greater depth is needed with Kimpembe likely out for the start of the next campaign, too, while Danilo’s stock remains high despite not necessarily having a clear starting role when everyone is fit. The Portugal international’s reliability and consistency make him useful in defense as well as midfield, although his professional attitude remains his biggest plus.
Midfield: Hakimi, Verratti, Zaïre-Emery, and Mendes is the best way to go in order to get the best out of both wide men. Vitinha has arguably shown more than Fabian Ruiz, so he could stay on as depth, while Danilo is an ideal enforcer who could balance Verratti and Zaïre-Emery’s creativity. Centrally, though, the prospect of Zaïre-Emery and Verratti regularly combining together could be very exciting.
Attack: Neymar Jr., Mbappé, and Hugo Ekitike is a dubious combination but may well turn out to be one that Galtier needs to work with next term. The Brazilian is unlikely to go anywhere while injured, and the easiest solution to create immediate space on the wage bill is to allow Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos to move on this summer. That is not necessarily a form-based decision, but it is the clearest and most logical financial strategy now that Neymar is hurt. The South American’s replacements in Renato Sanches and Carlos Soler have not been nearly good enough, while Ekitike cannot be relied upon as a regular starter yet. That said, the Frenchman’s loan deal will be made permanent when PSG qualifies for the Champions League, so planning with that outlay in mind furthers limits finances.
Who should go?
With Messi and Ramos out of contract in just a couple of months, they are the logical sacrificial lambs in both a financial sense but also in terms of rejuvenating the squad. Despite their unmatched experience over their impressive careers, neither has proved capable of saving PSG from its own worst enemy: PSG. Sanches and Soler could be moved on if offers arrive, but the fastest way to tackle the wage bill to create space for Škriniar’s arrival is by one or both of Messi and Ramos go.
Who should lead?
This one is fairly easy. Mbappé is the logical full-time captain choice, with Kimpembe arguably better suited to being his vice-captain than Marquinhos. The Brazilian has gone a similar way to former teammate Thiago Silva who stepped back and allowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to lead by example rather than being too vocal. Still, the difference is that Silva was a master organizer, which Marquinhos has not yet proved himself to be. Škriniar’s profile is interesting as he brings leadership credentials in his prime and a hunger to win, which could be particularly useful once he adapts to his new teammates. However, he will not and should not immediately be handed the armband when Mbappé clearly shows that he is this team’s talisman.
What about the titis?
Almost as embarrassing as the manner of PSG’s exit at the hands of Bayern Munich was that the Germans boasted more French talent than the Ligue 1 leaders and that an ex-youth academy graduate and the former player did much of the damage. El Chadaille Bitshiabu and Timothée Pembélé should keep the academy represented while providing depth. At the same time, Xavi Simons could yet return after a sensational season with PSV Eindhoven despite the Dutch giants doing everything to avoid that.
And the returnees?
A fit and focused Icardi could solve many attacking issues and provide a much-needed focal point, but the question with the Argentine has never been about his ability. Abdou Diallo could be useful in defense, with his RB Leipzig loan option not expected to be extended. Layvin Kurzawa has the profile to back Mendes up on the left, but his poor form spanning years makes the ideal of a final-year salvation act laughable to even write.