Marquinhos is currently under contract with Paris Saint-Germain until June 2022 but if sporting director Leonardo has his way, the versatile Brazilian center-back-turned-midfielder will remain in the French capital for years to come.
According to a report from L’Equipe this morning, PSG sporting director Leonardo is keen on extending Marquinhos’ contract for two additional years, which would keep him in Paris until 2024, and has sent a proposal to his representatives. The 25-year-old still has three years left on his current deal so there’s no rush to put pen to paper at the moment, but the report does indicate that there is interest on both sides to get an extension signed.
Relive the unveiling of the third jersey with this Tifo of our @marquinhos_m5🤩
🔴🔵#ICICESTPARIS pic.twitter.com/jdwypWRznc
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 14, 2019
Marquinhos is a fan favorite at the Parc des Princes and that was never more evident than on September 14 against RC Strasbourg. That was the day PSG unveiled their retro-inspired third kit. Prior to kickoff, PSG supporters lifted a tifo from the stands of Marquinhos wearing the new shirt in a display that the Brazilian described as “a great honor and a great joy for me and all my family” on Twitter.
🇧🇷 Que prazer 😍 Uma grande honra e uma grande alegria pra mim e toda minha família! Lançamento da 3 camisa, vitoria e o mosaico mais lindo de toda a minha vida! 👏🏽 Obrigado @PSG_inside , obrigado aos torcedores e obrigado @nikefootball 🔴🔵 #IciCestParis pic.twitter.com/NWBpsvYxNb
— Marcos Aoás Corrêa (@marquinhos_m5) September 14, 2019
If PSG is able to extend Marquinhos’ contract, it would be a huge win for the club. In his first stint as sporting director, Leonardo signed the Brazilian from AS Roma in 2013 for €31.4 million (Reuters) and according to Transfermarkt, his value currently stands at more than double that amount (€65 million) and you could argue that given the transfer market, PSG could ask for a lot more than that and there would be interested teams. He’s vital to the success of Paris Saint-Germain on the pitch due to his versatility to play center-back, right-back, and even defensive midfielder at an elite level. He is a hardworking player who will obviously do anything to serve the team as he has changed positions when asked by the manager.
On Friday at his pre-match press conference, Thomas Tuchel confirmed that he has a group of five players that he relies on for information but only two of them are captains and the other three could become captains. The two chosen ones are 35-year-old Thiago Silva and Marquinhos. Given his age, you have to believe Silva will be moving on at some point during Marquinhos’ current contract, making the younger Brazilian the primary captain of PSG in the very near future.
There’s a love affair between Marquinhos, the club, and the city of Paris that I’m not sure he would get if he were to leave for FC Barcelona for example who have tried to sign him in the past according to Don Balon and other outlets. I think Marquinhos knows this and winning a major trophy like the UEFA Champions League will mean more to him at PSG than say a club like Barcelona.
With two youngsters already signed to contract extensions this season (Garissone Innocent and Colin Dagba), it would be great to see players of the stature of Marquinhos commit to the PSG project long-term and hopefully, players like Kylian Mbappé will follow his lead.
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