Paris Saint-Germain took a break from signing new players over the last week or so to focus on a number of outgoings, with Neymar, Leandro Paredes, Renato Sanches, and Abdou Diallo all leaving in the space of a few days. Luis Campos’ work to get those no longer wanted by the French champions out of the door has been impressive, but there remain a number of established players still to move on during the remainder of this summer’s transfer window. We take a look at those players who could yet be on the move and which of them could yet be salvaged by head coach Luis Enrique if they do not move on now. Based on the opening draws against Lorient and Toulouse so far this season, there remains work to be done for the Spaniard to get the team looking the way that he wants it to.
Read the full article at PSG Talk Extra Time on Substack.
Marco Verratti
The Italy international has been linked with a big-money move to Saudi Arabia, and that possibility is still there. Luis Enrique said at the start of the campaign to pay attention to his actions and not necessarily his words to understand his thinking on certain players, and Verratti is yet to make a squad for a PSG Ligue 1 game yet. There is little doubt that the Azzurri star’s technical ability could see him utilized in future matches, but the problem appears to be that his mentality has been identified as problematic, which suggests that he will not get back to key status within the team unless there is a significant shift. Now 30, Verratti has been allowed to stagnate for too long, and that is reflected by no serious interest outside of Saudi riches. Al-Hilal remains interested, and with Neymar now there, they should return their focus to that of the Italian as they seek to land him. If that fails, though, Verratti’s technical ability could still be used in the midfield he used to boss.
Keylor Navas
Loaned out to Nottingham Forest last season, the Costa Rica international has found himself on the bench against Lorient and Toulouse. The 36-year-old will not be delighted to have started the new season in Paris, where his route to first-team soccer is blocked, but the fact remains that he is a quality second goalkeeper to have. In an ideal world, PSG could move on the former Real Madrid man, who will turn 37 later this year and is on significantly good wages for a non-starter until the summer of 2024. Navas, though, has seen potential moves away fall through, and the chances of seeing him remain at Parc des Princes beyond the end of this summer grow by the day. Should he still be part of Luis Enrique’s squad into September, the experienced shot-stopper could prove to be a valuable backup to Gianluigi Donnarumma but also a great mentor for summer signing Arnau Tenas. It is not an ideal situation for the club or player, but Navas is not undesirable for character reasons; it is simply that he wants regular first-team soccer, which has been hard to guarantee since the Italian’s arrival from Milan.
Julian Draxler
One of the biggest challenges for Campos in terms of outgoings since arriving in Paris will have been trying to find a permanent home for Julian Draxler. The Germany international has not played regularly for quite some time now, and although he was loaned out to Benfica last season, it did not exactly go according to plan. Now 29, it is not as if Draxler is at the end of his career—he could still have a good few years somewhere, perhaps closer to home in the Bundesliga, if a club was willing to take a chance on him and he was willing to take a pay cut for the final 12 months of his PSG deal which expires next summer. The former Wolfsburg and Schalke man remains rated by many in his homeland, which is why it probably makes the most sense at this stage of his career, and Draxler can look at the likes of Max Kruse as someone who managed to enjoy a late flourish in their playing days when he joined Union Berlin for a two-year period. Of all of the undesirables who could remain with the club this summer, Draxler is arguably the one with the least chance of breaking back into contention.
Read the full article at PSG Talk Extra Time on Substack.
