MERCATO – Areola will leave PSG for West Ham without ever having really won

That’s it, Alphonse Aréola is going to leave Paris. The media are unanimous, the French international goalkeeper, who is coming out of a loan season at West Ham, will stay in England since the Hammers should soon formalize the lifting of his option to buy 12 million euros. For the youngest supporters of Paris Saint-Germain, Areola is only a very good backup goalkeeper who has become seasoned with a few starts at Real Madrid before scratching playing time in the Premier League with Fulham, then West Ham .

However, since his arrival in the club of the capital at the age of twelve, he has always belonged to it. Seventeen years under contract with Paris without having acquired the status of indisputable, nor leaving as a historic player of the club. Is the course of Alphonse Aréola that of a wasted talent?

A symptom of the evil that is eating away at Paris

When he leaves the training center, Areola has a status. That of a young goalkeeper who could well be the future of the France team. His successive appearances in all the national youth selections speak for him. He even shone and made people talk about him during the U20 World Cup in 2013, a notable fact in a group that notably brought together Paul Pogba and Florian Thauvin, by stopping two penalties in the final against Uruguay to carry the Blueberries to the roof of the world. Consecration for a young talent: he is one of the French nuggets to acquire on Football Manager at the time.

Solid training, a few feats of arms and the future ahead of him. All that was missing was a club that trusted him. This is what was sorely lacking in Areola. At the microphone of Canal +in 2020, he also explained that this lack of confidence has “disappointed“and especially him has”lack” in his career. Others knew his situation. And the choice of exile was promising: Kingsley Coman, Christopher Nkunku, Moussa Diaby all succeeded outside Paris. But not him. “As long as I’m under contract, I’m here“, he hammered against his leaders.

Buffoon? “I loved to death”

But even after three seasons on loan at Lens, Bastia and Villarreal and a year as a starter in Paris, the Qataris chose to bring in Gianluigi Buffon in 2018, with whom the Frenchman will share his playing time.Frankly, I loved it to death, it’s one of my idols“confided the interested party, again in competition.

The next season is looming. While he is certain to occupy the number 1 costume again, PSG sets his sights on a certain Keylor Navas in the summer of 2019. It is the coup de grace. Thomas Tuchel no longer counts on him, or not in the way expected by the player. “I was trained at the club, I always tried to give the maximum…“Aréola whispered some time ago.

At Fulham, in 2020/2021, and at West Ham last season, he proved that he could play at a high level on a regular basis. Where would he be if Paris had trusted him? A few days ago, Nasser al-Khelaïfi explained to the Parisian that at PSG the glitter was over. Inevitably, the French international, a child of the club, would have been perfect for this more football-centric PSG.

In England, his future seems mapped out. Lukasz Fabianski, 37, should not last very long in the goals of the Hammers and quickly leave him the post. Approaching 30 and keeping goals for a Premier League top 8 club is it a shame? Not at all. Is it a mess? Most likely.