Luis Campos did not work miracles during the winter transfer window… Federico Pestellini / Panoramic
DECRYPTION – While its rivals have strengthened, Bayern Munich in the lead, the capital club has become poorer in the transfer market.
«We will comment on the transfer window when it is closed“, said Christophe Galtier, Tuesday. He is. And now is the time to take stock. Negative… Already the raw data: nothing in terms of arrivals, Keylor Navas (Nottingham, loan), Pablo Sarabia (Wolverhampton, €5m) and Ayman Kari (Lorient, loan) for departures. We can also count Ander Herrera. Having already reached the limit number of loaned players, the capital club has “FreeAnder Herrera at Athletic Bilbao, where he had been on loan with the option to buy since the summer. No compensation according to Spanish sources.
Obviously, Luis Campos was constrained in terms of finances, the PSG having been pinned by the European policeman several months ago already (65 M€ including 55 suspended, 3 years to get into the nails). With the “fantastic three” – dixit Galtier – who vampirize the payroll, the extension of Leo Messi in the cards and Neymar under contract until… 2027. Moreover, Galtier did not necessarily expect much during this month of January. “I am very satisfied with the squad I have, a group that has been working very well since the takeover. A player may not be happy with his playing time, not very happy here, we will discuss the possibilities. But in my opinion there will be no arrival without departure“, said the Parisian coach before the opening of the market, adding that an arrival in defense was also not desirable since it would have the consequence of”block spaceto 17-year-old titi El Chadaille Bitshiabu.
Skriniar, failed again
He did not always hold this speech. Especially after a summer spent trying Milan Skriniar… Inter had turned a deaf ear, hoping to convince the 27-year-old Slovak defender, at the end of his 2023 contract, to extend. Failed: the interested party has agreed with PSG for next summer. Suddenly, Paris… came back to the charge to have it this winter. Inter, however, failed to find a replacement in time. Galtier will therefore have to deal with a defensive sector that he already considered short at the start of the season. And who is still perhaps a little more given the performance of Sergio Ramos, in the hard as soon as it goes quickly in front… Moreover, Presnel Kimpembe is not yet ready to return to the game and Nordi Mukiele is also in the infirmary. Fortunately, Danilo Pereira can always help out…
SEE ALSO – Best of Milan Skriniar at Inter Milan
Read alsoMercato: Inter put an end to the Skriniar soap opera, which will only join PSG at the end of the season
Knowing that there was no departure in the middle, the idea was never to strengthen this sector. However, the recruits of last summer (Ruiz, Soler, Sanches) are struggling to establish themselves there. Even Vitinha”has a little trouble getting back to his levelafter a good start to the season, as Galtier admitted. “We must find more density, fluidity in the game in the middle. Our midfielders need to be better at using the ball but also a lot more intense than they are now.“, Said “Galette”, who will have to do without the essential Marco Verratti (suspended) in Montpellier this Wednesday (9 p.m.), during the 21st day of Ligue 1. Neymar (care) is also out.
In goal and in front? Sergio Rico will put on the Gigio Donnarumma understudy suit after Navas leaves. Moreover, this may free the 23-year-old Italian goalkeeper, like Pau Lopez in Marseille when Steve Mandanda left… For Sarabia, the bubble. “We’ll see if we have at least one offensive player to replace him numerically, and maybe another profile“Yet indicated Galtier after Pays de Cassel (7-0). The rest, we know. Grand Guignolesque. We talked about Rayan Cherki (OL), Johan Bakayoko (PSV) or Malcom (Zénit). It was ultimately the idea of a loan from Hakim Ziyech that was closest to fruition. In fact, everything was stalled, Chelsea and Paris OK for a paying loan without an option to buy, and the player ready to join the French capital, medical examination OK.
The “gross errorsChelsea for Ziyech
After waiting in a large Parisian hotel, the 29-year-old Moroccan international, former Ajax player, even arrived at the Factory around 8 p.m. Signing imminent? That’s what we believed. Except that the Blues, too busy completing the arrival of Enzo Fernandez for 121 M€, “didn’t take it seriously enough“, we are told at the club, evoking the “gross errorsfrom the English club. Errors that derailed the case: PSG had to remind London leaders several times to return the signed documents. Which leaders then sent said documents… without the signature twice before, finally, everything was square. Except that at that time, it was already past midnight. Mercato finished. No Ziyech. Paris tried to plead its cause with the LFP this Wednesday morning, in vain. At the club, we are convinced that the Blues have not knowingly rotten this file. Moreover, other transactions turned sour for the same reasons at Chelsea on Tuesday evening. Anger is nevertheless strong at Paris-SG… “We have a need on an offensive level“, Hammered Galtier. He won’t have it.
Read alsoMercato: the LFP has decided, Hakim Ziyech will not come to PSG
This time it’s not Antero’s fault…
The Parisian technician only has to “s’adapter“, as he said after an already incomplete summer transfer window. We remember that Paris-SG notably targeted a center forward, in addition to Skriniar behind. This time, there is no question of putting everything on the back of Antero Henrique, now offside, as Galtier and Campos have not failed to do in recent months. Still, the lack of sales last summer contributed to having only a mini-envelope this winter. This winter window is nonetheless a failure on the banks of the Seine. Especially since the competition has generally increased in Ligue 1, Bayern also with Joao Cancelo (Manchester City, loan).
Read alsoRigor, requirement and effort: the keys to recovery for PSG
It would be better for the infirmary not to fill up too much in the weeks to come and for the group, on alternating current since the World Cup, to increase (significantly) its level. “If there is no arrival, there is no arrivalsaid “Galette”, philosopher, Tuesday. This workforce worked and even worked very well for months. There’s no reason it can’t come back from the moment we all have the same objective on the fact that the team comes before individualities and that the requirement, the efforts and the rigor must come back in the preparation matches but also starts.It’s up to Galtier to play, with the weapons that are his.
