This summer, Paris Saint-Germain will need to decide which goalkeeper they’re proceeding with in the future, whether it’s Keylor Navas or Gianluigi Donnarumma. Last year, the capital club brought the Italy international on a free transfer but decided to hold onto Navas.
In an interview with L’Equipe, the former France national team goalkeeper Fabien Barthez spoke about the situation at PSG. The former Olympique de Marseille man stated that having two shot-stoppers like Donnarumma and Navas does more harm than good.
“What is the message that you send to your goalkeepers? You place them in what psychological dispositions? To whom do you really trust for the big meetings? What the outfield players say to each other?” Barthez said.
“You instill doubt in everyone. And then, it’s the competition that makes you progress, not the training. A guy like Donnarumma – or Navas for that matter – he has to play.”
When asked which player of the two the French giants should proceed with, Barthez explained that Donnarumma is the right man for the job, considering the 23-year-old fits the qualities he looks for in a goalkeeper.
“Today, a goalkeeper has to be 1.92m, take up space in the goal, and be good with their feet. You have way too many defensive goalkeepers, who suffer the game and wait for the ball to come to them,” Barthez said.
Furthermore, Barthez adds that Donnarumma needs to play. He understands that despite his mistake against Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16’s second leg, the former goalkeeper still holds the former AC Milan man in high regard.
“What happened to him is logical (his mistake against Real Madrid, in the knockout stages of the Champions League). He won the Euros, he is full of confidence, he arrives in Paris, and we put him in competition with Navas,” Barthez said.
