Faced with the uncertain futures of three of Paris Saint-Germain’s big stars, they will likely have to put on a new top striker this summer.
Angel Di María’s contract expires in June and while PSG has shown intentions to renew it, the Argentina international turned 33 in February and it is not a long-term solution. Doubts persist around star striker Kylian Mbappé as his contract expires in 2022 and he has expressed a desire to play “someday” for Real Madrid. And then there’s Neymar, who continues to worry about his injuries – the 29-year-old Brazilian has started just 16, 15 and nine (this season) League 1 games for PSG in the past three years.
While PSG is managing to renew some of the aforementioned contracts – sources told ESPN that Neymar has already reached a four-year deal – the French giant will still want to include an attacker, preferably one who can play in different positions to play the game. elusive champions conquer league trophy.
Sources informed ESPN that the club has shown interest in signing Barcelona’s legendary Lionel Messi when his contract expires this summer, but the 33-year-old’s future remains uncertain after the presidential election and it would be difficult to compromise his financial position. expectations – assuming he wants something similar to his current salary – even for PSG.
Who could then interest one of the richest clubs in the world? Given the current climate, it will be difficult to achieve, but these five alternatives could be a good fit in Paris.
The Egyptian is among half a dozen Liverpool players who have managed to stand out in a disappointing Premier League campaign. While the team’s attacking patterns have become largely unrecognizable – given that the colorful interaction between forwards we saw in previous years was largely absent from the last six games they played and lost, at Anfield – Salah did his part. He has 17 league goals and remains Anfield’s most creative player; this season he still scores an average of 1.47 times per game, compared to 1.67 in his sensational last season.
PSG’s hopes of signing Salah would grow if Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League this season, while rumors of unease with DT Jürgen Klopp spread and the club could make the decision to sell a well-paid player which he turns 29 this summer. before his contract (which expires in 2023) starts his home zone. Regardless, the prospect of signing Salah would give the PSG forward a more consistently left-handed alternative to Pablo Sarabia’s, and would of course add one more world-class star to the squad, although it wouldn’t come cheap.
After a nondescript start to the campaign, possibly influenced by the long-awaited € 120 million pass to Manchester United that never materialized, Sancho is reaching the same level that catapulted him to the top of attacking / attacking midfielders in Europe last season. Since the beginning of the year, the English winger has found the net eight times, good for another seven goals.
With signs from Manchester United indicating that the club may not be interested in extending the 20-year-old’s contract, other European powers could start investigating possible passes. Sancho’s verticality and acumen in the last third of the track, combined with his ability to handle both sides comfortably, make him a viable target. Dortmund are currently four points away from qualifying for the Champions League, and the inability to qualify for the tournament, in addition to the financial impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, could make Sancho’s departure this summer inevitable.
Under normal circumstances, an attacker like Martinez would have been untouchable, perhaps even for teams like PSG, but with the pandemic and the owners of Inter, the Chinese conglomerate Suning, who had closed the doors of one of their football activities in China, nothing has happened. . can be excluded.
Martínez, who emerged as a teenager for Racing Club de Avellaneda in Argentina, has been in devastating form at Inter this season. The Argentina international made a good link with Romelu Lukaku, scoring 13 goals, mostly by assisting – or being assisted by – the Belgian.
With his intensity, sixth sense of opportunism, natural aptitude and competitive drive, Martínez is a Luis Suárez or Carlos Tevez striker. Always on the move and excellent at tackling the opponent’s attack, he can also play on the left side on offense, from where he can cut on the inside to continue with his predominant foot. Very handy in the pressure game, he is also willing to help further down.
One of the top three Ligue 1 players in recent seasons, Depay is a compelling proposition for a few European giants as he will be available as a freelancer in the summer. Depay wasted no time overcoming his unsuccessful (albeit slightly underrated) stint at Manchester United as he quickly became a key player for Lyon since joining the club in January 2017.
Although Barcelona and Juventus are reportedly at the top of the list of interests for the Dutch forward, it would come as no surprise if PSG are also among the top. Primarily an outspoken player in the Premier League, Depay was primarily portrayed as a “fake No. 9” with Lyon – usually down to take over his play-maker role or make room for wingers. His versatility, together with his surprising technical qualities and his ability to generate danger with every touch he puts on the ball, indicate that the Lyon captain is among the elite of this match.
While a possible move between the two French rivals would not please Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, PSG would undoubtedly be happy to deprive their rivals of their star player.
While Oyarzabal lacks the great appeal of the other two, he could be a very good addition – especially if PSG eventually follow many of their domestic and European rivals by taking a more careful path in the transfer market. While harnessing talent and resale value are paramount in this scenario, PSG now has a coach at Mauricio Pochettino who has never escaped the task of developing talent.
An excellent youth performer, Oyarzabal has already added nearly 200 league matches to Real Sociedad and recently secured a starting place with the Spanish senior team. With smart play roaming the field without the ball and a protruding left foot (although also very capable on the right), the 23-year-old Basque forward can operate on both wingers and is especially useful when he can slide into central areas to make passes to teammates running from midfield (he’s recorded no fewer than 35 key passes this season). Ten goals and six assists in the league this season suggest he is about to leave.