When Paris Saint-Germain signed Idrissa Gueye from Everton FC during last summer’s transfer window, many expected the 30-year-old to simply be a defensive midfielder and not much more. As it turns out, Gueye has a lot more to offer than just man-marking and tackling.
Idrissa Gana Gueye – More than a Destroyer (2019/2020) pic.twitter.com/WzSi8CGtiK
— Ali (@AliTactics) October 13, 2019
Gueye’s transfer fee of €32 million, reported by Marca, is looking to be more of a bargain with each game the Senegal international plays for Les Parisiens. In fact, he has lifted PSG’s defense to a level I’m not sure the club has ever experienced before as shown by these incredible statistics from OptaJean:
0 – Paris with/without Idrissa Gueye in all comps this season
🔥 With Gueye :
100% win percentage (7/7)
0 goal conceded in 630 mins
❄️ Without Gueye :
2 wins, 2 losses
5 goals conceded in 360 mins
Beast. @PSG_English @IGanaGueye pic.twitter.com/Yru3CcDN2o
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) October 2, 2019
There’s no doubt that Gueye’s defensive prowess has contributed to PSG’s stingy defensive efforts this season, but lost in those stats is the wonderful football he can play going forward.
He assisted Angel Di Maria for the Argentine’s second goal against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League and as you can see in the video, he is always looking to spring the attack after breaking up a pass or winning the ball.
Gueye, Di Maria… MAGNIFIQUE ❤️💙#PSGRMA pic.twitter.com/Y6Bt3ufdsC
— ⚜Qutchpaul ⚜🗼 (@Qutchpaul) September 19, 2019
With so many injuries in the squad at the moment, PSG will be relying on Gueye to contribute to every aspect of the game. As a PSG supporter, I personally can’t wait to see how Gueye performs with both Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappé in front of him.
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