Paris Saint-Germain added to their attacking prowess with the signing of Jesé Rodriguez from Real Madrid for the rumored sum of €25 million.
The versatile forward is a welcomed addition to the squad and likely the last incoming transfer we’ll see this summer. The La Fábrica graduate expressed his delight in joining Paris following the official announcement:
I am delighted to join Paris Saint-Germain, who have become one of Europe’s most competitive clubs, declared Jesé after signing his contract on Monday. Like Paris Saint-Germain, I have big ambitions for the coming seasons and it will be a great pleasure to work under the direction of Unai Emery, who has developed an excellent reputation in Spain, and across Europe, for his quality as a coach. I can’t wait to begin this next challenge of my career.
Signed primarily to backup Edinson Cavani, some speculate about Jesé’s ability to do so having been deployed on the wing for most of his career. However, considering a decent striker in today’s market could cost over €60 million, the Spaniard’s signing makes sense both financially and positionally as he has the ability to play through the middle as well as out wide.
Jesé: Scored a goal or registered an assist every 75.2 mins in La Liga last season pic.twitter.com/ANthQPlNJI
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) August 3, 2016
Highly rated as a teenager and widely regarded as Real Madrid’s best academy prospect in the last ten years, Jesé’s progression was stalled greatly playing behind Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo. That, in addition to an ill-timed knee injury during the 2013-14 season, ended his promising breakout campaign. Last season, the 23-year-old started to return closer to his pre-injury form and went on to record his best season in terms of stats in the top flight thus far. Working with Unai Emery, a manager who values his talents, Jesé could finally reach his potential in Paris.
11 – Jesé had a hand in 11 goals in La Liga 15/16 (5 goals, 6 assists), more than in any other La Liga season. Value.
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 3, 2016
Blessed with blistering pace and an eye for goal and assists, Jesé could become a mainstay in Emery’s starting lineup because of his ability to play anywhere in the attack. The Spaniard’s versatility will also free up room for academy project Jean-Kevin Augustin to get a fair amount of chances in his preferred position.
There are quite a few doubts about Jesé’s ability to play a key role this season for Paris Saint-Germain but his mental strength, a trait that seems to come naturally to Real Madrid players, bodes well considering the club’s lofty UEFA Champions League goals.
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Photograph by BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/Getty Images
