Luis Enrique’s side have secured domestic honours while resting their superstar forward, but they need a replacement to compete in Europe
Paris Saint-Germain haven’t lifted the Ligue 1 trophy yet, but after Monaco dropped points against Lyon on Sunday, the Parisians clinched their third-straight French title. Zoom out, and they have now won 10 out of 13, dominating the era since the high-profile, nation-state-backed Qatari Sports Investors took over the club.
This should be of little surprise. The Parisians are richer than everyone else in France, and constantly bring in the kind of star players that the rest of the league will simply never attract.
But this year, their customary title run has looked slightly different. Kylian Mbappe’s indication that he will leave the club halfway through the season brought about change in the way the Parisians set up in the league. First-year manager Luis Enrique, a notoriously stern disciplinarian, has shown little hesitation in benching his star player for domestic duties – and the Parisians have walked the league all the same.
European glory, though, might not be so simple. Champions League success – the sole gap in this project – tends to require star power, and Mbappe’s departure will leave a massive hole to fill. So, while this Parisian team has proved it can compete for the biggest domestic trophies without a virtuosic presence, they will still undoubtedly need a talisman for the biggest European nights.
Another title win
The Parisians are expected, if not obligated, to lift Ligue 1 every year. It has been, in fact, cataclysmic for a litany of highly-rated managers if they don’t. A poor run of form in the league at the end of 2020 – one the French side never truly recovered from – saw Thomas Tuchel leave his job. Unai Emery was almost removed from his post, too, after just one year following a second-placed finish.
This season, though, there was no such mishaps. The Parisians endured a shaky result or two (draws to lowly-Clermont Foot and Le Havre as Luis Enrique rotated his side have surprised). Still, this has been a mostly smooth campaign – especially given its difficult circumstances.
The Parisians have secured the title with three games to spare, and have lost just once in the league thus far. They have scored the most goals in Ligue 1, have the best goal difference by a hefty margin, and introduced a number of promising young talents into the fold. The obligatory success has been checked off the list.
Not all Mbappe
This has all come in the shadow of one of the highest-profile transfer sagas in recent footballing history. Mbappe has been on a collision course with Real Madrid for years now. It is, in fact, remarkable that he has taken so long to finally move to the Spanish capital. The uncertainty around Mbappe’s future dominated headlines for months, and the confirmation of his departure, if anything, has calmed the madness of the news cycle.
And for Luis Enrique, it has served as an opportunity. No longer shackled by the obligation of having to deploy his star player – for fear of him bolting elsewhere – the manager has enjoyed the freedom to experiment with his side. Mbappe has been benched for long stretches, with Goncalo Ramos, Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola all given chances to impress. It has left room for tinkering further back on the pitch, too, as the manager has shifted between a 4-3-3, 4-2-2-2 and 4-2-4 at will.
Luis Enrique himself summed it up, saying in March: “The project is a bit new for the club, different from previous coaches, with a lot of young players. The idea is to see that our supporters follow us and think that we play well. I have a good time in personal terms, as a coach and that’s how it is that we must carry out a football project.”
Stepping up
More broadly, it has allowed space for others to grow. Homegrown wonderkid Warren Zaire-Emery has developed admirably in his first full season as a starter, while Barcola has justified his last-minute move from Lyon back in September. Meanwhile Ramos, after a tepid start in Paris, is rounding into form.
More recently, January newcomer Lucas Beralado has settled into the defence, while Vitinha – once set for a move away from the club – has become an essential cog in midfield.
This isn’t a perfect team. Achraf Hakimi hasn’t hit his best, while there are still concerns about Dembele’s finishing ability – or lack thereof. The ageing and injury-prone Marquinhos could also present problems going forward. Still, the Parisians look a far more balanced unit than in years past, meaning they don’t have to rely on a star name to bail them out every week.
Luis Enrique effect
Luis Enrique has been central to the Parisians’ improvements. The Spaniard was supposedly the club’s third-choice for the job, with Tuchel the preferred replacement when it became clear that Christophe Galtier was on his way out. But since his arrival, Luis Enrique has wrestled control at the helm, and pieced together an impressive campaign.
The club backed him heavily with 12 new faces arriving, while Lionel Messi, Neymar and Marco Verratti all departed. Luis Enrique has dealt with the turnover with aplomb and constructed a well-oiled team.
He has also handled Mbappe’s impending departure effectively while controlling the media circus around the Parisian club. This is not an easy job, but the ex-Barcelona coach has managed to make it look so.
Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi summed it up two weeks ago: “We have a really great manager, the best in the world.”
Mbappe needs replacing
But for all of the improvements – and all of the good vibes reverberating through the PSG structure – there is a prevailing sense that this side will still be missing that something special when Mbappe leaves. European success is central to the Parisian mission, and so far it has been elusive. Well-rounded sides can win leagues over the course of nine months, but stars are required to get a team over the line in Europe.
Perhaps the last team lacking in a star name that won the Champions League was Chelsea’s 2020-21 side – and even their 1-0 success could be chalked up to a Kevin De Bruyne injury for Manchester City.
It would seem to have the Parisians well positioned this year, then, as they prepare for their semi-final encounter with Borussia Dortmund. A heavily-rotated Mbappe should be razor sharp as he looks to finally come good on his promise of delivering continental glory to his home town.
But this team is still young, still learning, and perhaps not quite ready for European glory without their talisman. As such, they will need to find a new leader this summer to ensure they remain competitive against Europe’s elite.
The options
In true PSG style, there seems to be plenty of money to throw around. Not only are the usually deep Qatari pockets available to tap into, but there will also be the extra finances freed up by Mbappe’s departure.
The exact terms of his Madrid move are still to be figured out, but PSG are certainly set to save some cash, even if they don’t receive a transfer fee for the impending free agent. Mbappe’s salary is by some distance the biggest in Europe, while PSG’s immense commitment to paying an annual loyalty bonus, as well as other add-ons, has them paying nine figures to Mbappe every season.
This doesn’t appear to be a hefty market for superstars, but there are certainly some intriguing options who could be available to PSG. Lamine Yamal appears to be the jewel, and while Barcelona will not want to let go of their La Masia talent, they face the harsh financial reality of needing to sell for big money in order to balance the books. It would be of little surprise, then, if PSG were to make a big move for Europe’s next big thing.
An equally effective – if rather less shrewd – investment might be Mohamed Salah. The winger has been linked with a move away from Liverpool, and could be available at the right price, especially if new manager Arne Slot wants to clear house. There are further options, too, with Rafael Leao, Marcus Rashford and Luis Diaz all possibilities.
Regardless of who they bring in, the Parisians have the cash and impetus to make a big splash this summer. And unlike in past seasons, when they sought out stars for the sake of having them, they now need a big name to round out a team on the verge of continental success.