Paris Saint-Germain has been busy this summer. First, it was the departure of Kylian Mbappé, but the reigning French champions have strengthened their squad in the hope of reaching the UEFA Champions League final and winning it all.
According to ExpressVPN, PSG is one of soccer’s biggest earners in 2024, coming in sixth ahead of Manchester United, FC Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Arsenal FC. That kind of financial firepower has helped Les Parisiens sign João Neves from Benfica and Willian Pacho from Eintracht Frankfurt. However, no new signing will be as impactful as Désiré Doué.
Several top clubs around Europe pursued the Frenchman, but it ultimately came down to PSG and Bayern Munich. Doué waited until after his national team duties were over at the summer Olympics in Paris before he made his decision and ultimately chose Luis Enrique and PSG.
Supporters around the world rejoiced when Doué was officially announced and photos of him in training soon followed. Then reality set it. Where will Doué play?
At Stade Rennais, Doué played primarily on the left wing, which is Bradley Barcola’s best position as well. Ideally, Luis Enrique will want Doué and Barcola on the pitch at the same time, so how do you fit both of them into a starting XI?
The solution may lie in playing Doué centrally as an attacking midfielder. The 19-year-old from Angers is versatile enough to do it, and some speculate that attacking midfielder may be his best position. He would sit just behind a front three of Barcola, Randal Kolo Muani/Gonçalo Ramos, and Ousmane Dembélé. That is a potent attack and has the potential to make up the 40+ goal deficit left behind by Mbappé.
If this is the way Luis Enrique goes, it leaves one less midfield position for several high-quality players. Vitinha is arguably PSG’s best player right now, so he has to be in the midfield. Then, it’s a decision between Warren Zaïre-Emery and Neves for the final midfield spot. Who starts will likely come down to fitness, form, and the opponent. Neves is a lot more creative than Zaïre-Emery but the 18-year-old Frenchman is a lot more physical. You can make the case for either one being the regular starter.
It’s a good problem to have at the end of the day. Luis Enrique wants competition at every position and certainly has that. Doué will excel whether he’s on the wing or the midfield and fans are excited to watch his development this season.
