CHRONIC. Even if the Argentinian is much more radiant than the previous season, Paris Saint-Germain must not make the mistake of extending it.
By Adrian Mathieu
© FRANCK FIFE / AFP
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Dn a modern football without pity in the requirement and the intensity, the PSG represents an anomaly: can we still have several players unable to defend and to sacrifice themselves collectively? If the leaders of the capital club have made their team a tourist attraction and a marvelous marketing machine, the truth on the ground remains inescapable: its trio of stars made up of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé is no longer compatible with its needs. . If, as Hemingway said, Paris is a party, you have to know how to set limits. PSG is therefore at a turning point: favoring rhinestones and glitter or giving priority to its collective, which is increasingly unbalanced today.
Messi can leave with his head held high
If we go through each member of the trio, Lionel Messi is the best candidate to start. At 35 and after winning the World Cup, the last trophy missing from his list, the Argentinian has nothing left to prove to anyone. His club season is even accomplished, with already 14 goals scored and 15 assists. However, compared to the other two stars, the pros and cons lean against him. By getting rid of its colossal emoluments already, the PSG would put itself in the green financially and reduce (finally) its payroll, the largest in Europe to date. And why not finally recruit this world-class defensive midfielder who has been so lacking in this team in recent years…
�� PSG is forced to lower its payroll by 30% next summer and is in the sights of the FPF. This is why the club is being cautious about its investments – as in the winter transfer window. ��⛔️
(THE TEAM)
— Hadrian Grenier (@hadrien_grenier) February 5, 2023
As for other individuals, Kylian Mbappé is simply untouchable. In the prime of life, the 24-year-old striker has changed in dimension since his breathtaking World Cup in Qatar. To see him leave would be a total disavowal for Nasser al-Khelaïfi and his staff. It is hard to imagine PSG shooting themselves yet another bullet in the foot with this file when the club has already been walking on embers in recent years, with repeated disappointments in the Champions League.
Finally, Neymar is a real headache. He is under contract until 2025 with a monumental salary, and the suitors to welcome him are not jostling at the doors. Nevertheless, the Brazilian is not stingy in defensive efforts and does not hesitate to press, unlike the other two members of the trio. Despite his reputation as a spoiled child, Neymar runs, recovers and helps his neighbor. But his random level of play and his repeated injuries have more than worn out the patience of the Parisian supporters…
Campos in favor of an extension
The departure of Messi would fix whatever happens Mbappé, who has never ceased to proclaim in the press his desire to play with a real professional center forward. Behind the photos and the smiles, Paris Saint-Germain remains a war of egos. Without the Argentinian in his paws, the French striker could see his wish granted: to be able to turn around a real number 9, he who no longer wants to help out in this position. But the desires of some are not those of others, and to date the desire of the Parisian leaders is to extend the Argentinian, whose contract provides for an additional year as an option.
READ ALSOPSG – Life without Mbappé: a puzzle for Galtier
Luis Campos, the sporting director of PSG, did not hide Telefoot his desire to see Messi re-enlist for a third year on the Camp des loges side. “I can’t hide that, I would like to have him in this project, that he can continue with us. We are discussing at the moment to try to reach the goal, to continue to have Leo Messi with us. “As for Sergio Ramos, extending Messi is all a false good idea. PSG would therefore start again on an additional season with a team cut in two and its usual frustrations when the results are disillusioned and the stars do not help them. History is an eternal restart, but this time, the club of the capital will have sought it.
