Paris Saint-Germain has secured their backup goalkeeper position following Keylor Navas’ departure as a free agent and the probable choice to loan out Arnau Tenas this summer.
Reports reveal that Krasnodar goalkeeper Matvey Safonov will soon arrive in the French capital as the No. 2 and possibly challenge Gianluigi Donnarumma for the starting job. Nonetheless, what type of goalkeeper are the Ligue 1 champions bringing in?
One former Krasnodar player believes the 25-year-old reminds him of former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. In an interview with RMC Sport, Charles Kaboré explained why he sees similarities between Lloris and Safonov.
“The goalkeepers sometimes make a few mistakes,” Kaboré told RMC Sport (h/t Le10Sport). “That’s inevitable, and I don’t want to criticize Donnarumma because there’s pressure in Paris. But Safonov, he goes for it in aerial challenges. He takes risks, [and] he goes after the balls, like Lloris. He doesn’t just stay on his line. Even with his feet, he comes out, he has no limits.
“He has improved since joining the national team (13 caps). It’s a very good choice for Paris, and he can truly vie for a starting position. Being the captain and with Krasnodar contending for the title (2nd place), it shows he contributes significantly.”
The French shot-stopper made 447 appearances for Spurs during his tenure with the Premier League club. Lloris would register 151 clean sheets for Tottenham, too, so if Safonov can emulate this type of career, PSG would have a gem on their hands and one that they paid at a reasonable price of €20 million.
