Paris Saint-Germain is in a period of transition that truly began last summer and will continue in earnest this summer now that Kylian Mbappé’s departure is official.
If Mbappé had signed a new contract and stayed in the French capital, he likely would have been named the primary captain of PSG instead of Marquinhos. With Mbappé making the move to Real Madrid, many are placing bets on the websites mentioned on Smart Pokies website that the La Liga side will win the UEFA Champions League again next season.
Marquinhos captained PSG last season, but it remains to be seen if he will be moved this summer or potentially take a step back depending on who the club signs ahead of next season.
That begs the question, who will captain PSG next season? Here are the top candidates who could be voted in:
Vitinha
No player had a better 2023-24 campaign than Vitinha. He elevated his game and played an instrumental role in guiding PSG to the semi-finals of the Champions League. What better way to reward him for his stellar play than with the captain’s armband?
Achraf Hakimi
If Achraf Hakimi is retained for next season and potentially signs a new contract to stay at PSG, I could see the Morocco international given the captaincy. Hakimi joined PSG in 2021 and is easily one of the top five right-backs in the world.
Ousmane Dembélé
While he’s only been at the club for a season, Ousmane Dembélé should be considered for the captaincy. He grew up a PSG supporter and joined the club, likely knowing that Mbappé would be moving on. With so many young players in the squad, I like the idea of having 27-year-old Dembélé as the captain to mentor the likes of Bradley Barcola and Gonçalo Ramos.
Warren Zaïre-Emery
Voting Warren Zaïre-Emery as captain would be a surprise move from the PSG squad, but you can certainly make the argument for it. At 18 years old, Zaïre-Emery was named to the France national team squad for the UEFA European Championship this summer. He’s been named Man of the Match in Champions League matches, and anyone who has watched him play will tell you that he plays beyond his years. It would be a gamble to vote a teenager as captain, but considering PSG’s new sporting project that is emphasizing youth, this would be a signal to other young stars to come to PSG.
Whoever is voted to be PSG’s primary captain next season, including a return to Marquinhos, the future is bright for Les Parisiens.
