What Luis Enrique's Arrival Might Mean For PSG's Spanish Contingent, Loanees, and Hakimi
Luis Enrique faces an uphill battle if and when he's announced as PSG's next manager.
Although things are expected to start moving this week as we near the start of July, which should signal an uptick in Paris Saint-Germain’s transfer activity ahead of the 2023-24 season, Luis Enrique’s arrival as Christophe Galtier’s replacement feels like a matter of time now. The Spanish tactician, who most recently led La Roja at the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year, has a UEFA Champions League title to his name from back in 2015 with FC Barcelona while he was also the architect of PSG’s infamous Remontada downfall.
Opting for Luis Enrique, the man who inflicted such trauma upon the French giants, is a bold strategy given Les Parisiens’ struggles in recent years, but the 53-year-old is respected and has carved out a reputation for favoring youth during his stint in international management. He also has a history of getting good form out of Neymar, which could prove useful given the difficulty in shifting the fallen Brazilian superstar right now, and there is still a fairly sizeable Spanish-speaking contingent in this PSG locker room.
We take a look at how Luis Enrique’s probable arrival could impact certain individuals and groups.
Achraf Hakimi
It is easy to forget that although Achraf Hakimi is an established Morocco international, he was actually born in Spain and came through the ranks with Real Madrid before making his name with Borussia Dortmund and then Inter before joining PSG. Luis Enrique is quickly associated with Barca thanks to his achievements as a Blaugrana player and then coach, but it is often overlooked that he spent five years with Los Blancos before moving to Camp Nou and hails from Gijon—not Catalonia.
His ability to communicate clearly with Hakimi could help him to get to the bottom of the versatile 24-year-old’s struggles which have cast doubt on his Parc des Princes future of late, while keeping Hakimi onside could also aid the chances of holding on to talisman Kylian Mbappé who could be in line to become captain under Luis Enrique’s leadership. This change in boss does not address the serious allegations leveled against the Moroccan star away from the field, but it does hint at renewed focus from Hakimi, which could be key to rediscovering something close to his best form.
Fabian Ruiz, Carlos Soler, Juan Bernat, and Ismael Gharbi 🇪🇸
PSG’s actual Spanish contingent currently consists of Fabian Ruiz, Carlos Soler, Juan Bernat, and Ismael Gharbi, who has declared for Spain internationally despite being born in Paris. Sergio Rico, of course, forms part of this group, although he is currently fighting to recover from a horse riding accident with no estimated timeline yet for anything close to a return to action.
Soler was part of Luis Enrique’s plans for the 2022 World Cup last year, while Ruiz missed out along with Sergio Ramos, who was still a member of the Parisien squad then. Bernat has not really been in contention for a place with La Roja in recent years, but his last run came back in 2019, which was technically under Luis Enrique’s watch, although he was mostly absent for personal reasons with Robert Moreno left in charge. Gharbi undoubtedly popped up on the radar, given that he has been working his way through the Spanish youth ranks.
So, Luis Enrique replacing Galtier could be good news for Soler, who was previously likely to move on after a woeful debut season in the French capital, while Ruiz might now be deemed less important with new midfield additions. Bernat could yet be considered a useful squad element when he was originally expected to leave, but it should also be noted that the 30-year-old did not feature much for Spain after a lengthy injury lay-off and was not part of the World Cup squad either. Gharbi, meanwhile, could be promoted and finally given the sort of first-team experience that Warren Zaire Emery has enjoyed this past season, or at least a meaningful loan move that offers the opportunity to develop into a credible senior option.
Leandro Paredes, Mauro Icardi, and Keylor Navas
This trio of returning loanees should theoretically all move on permanently this summer, but shifting the likes of Leandro Paredes after a disappointing stint with Juventus could be difficult while Keylor Navas’ salary likely remains too high for many clubs at his age despite a solid spell with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Inter cashing in on Andre Onana and likely looking for a cost-effective replacement could present a solution there, but there has also been speculation that PSG were willing to include Gianluigi Donnarumma in a potential deal for Bernardo Silva, who remains a priority for Luis Campos.
Mauro Icardi could actually be the least complicated of the three players to secure a permanent deal for, with Galatasaray keen to keep the Argentina international, a number of Saudi Arabian clubs also keen while his stock remains fairly high in Serie A from his time with Inter. A prolific spell in Turkey has rejuvenated his reputation somewhat on the field, and PSG could now salvage a transfer fee and get his wages off the books in the coming weeks.
Paredes is also said to be of interest to Galatasaray and might look at what Icardi has been able to do in just one season with the Istanbul giants and be tempted to try the same. Should the possibility of a double deal emerge, Campos could have the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone and send both South Americans to Nef Stadium on permanent deals. The Portuguese transfer guru still oversees dealings for one of Luis Enrique’s former clubs Celta Vigo, where Rafa Benitez has just been appointed head coach.