Faced with the uncertain future of three of Paris Saint-Germain’s big stars, they will probably need to sign a new top-tier striker this summer.
Ángel Di María’s contract expires in June and, although PSG have shown intentions to renew it, the Argentine international turned 33 in February and is not a long-term solution. Doubts remain around stellar center-forward Kylian Mbappé, as his contract expires in 2022 and he has expressed his desire to play for Real Madrid “someday”. And then there’s Neymar, who is still worried about his injuries – the 29-year-old Brazilian has played as a starter in just 16, 15 and nine (this season) League 1 games for PSG in the last three years.
Even if PSG manage to renew any of the aforementioned contracts –sources told ESPN that Neymar has already reached an agreement for four years– the French giant will also want to incorporate a striker, preferably one able to play in different positions to try to Conquer the Champions League Trophy |
Sources told ESPN that the club has shown interest in signing the legendary Barcelona Lionel Messi when his contract expires this summer, but the future of the 33-year-old Argentine remains uncertain after the presidential election and his financial expectations would be difficult to meet – assuming you want something similar to your current salary – even for PSG.
Could they then be interested in one of the richest clubs in the world? Given the current climate it will be difficult to achieve, but these five alternatives could fit well in Paris.
The Egypt international is among the half a dozen Liverpool players who have managed to stand out in a disappointing Premier League campaign. Although the team’s attacking patterns have become largely unrecognizable – given that the showy interaction between the strikers we used to see in previous years has been quite absent in the last six games they played , and they lost, at Anfield– Salah did his part. He has 17 goals in the league and remains Anfield’s most creative player; this season he still averages 1.47 times per game, compared to the 1.67 he recorded in his sensational previous season.
PSG’s hopes of joining Salah would rise if Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League this season, while rumors of unrest have circulated with DT Jürgen Klopp, and the club could make the decision to sell a salary player high that turns 29 this summer before his contract (which expires in 2023) enters its final stretch. Either way, the possibility of signing Salah would give the PSG striker a more consistent left-wing alternative than Pau Sarabia, and would obviously add another world-class star to the squad, although it would not be cheap.
After an unobtrusive start to the campaign, possibly affected by the expected € 120m move to Manchester United that never materialized, Sancho is reaching the same level that catapulted him to the first step of offensive steering wheels / forwards. Europe last season. Since the start of the year, the English winger has found the net eight times, and facilitated another seven goals.
As signals from Manchester United indicate that the club may not be interested in renewing the 20-year-old’s contract, other European powers could begin exploring possible passes. The verticality and incisiveness of Sancho in the last third of the track, combined with his ability to develop comfortably on both sides, make him a viable target. Dortmund are currently four points away from qualifying for the Champions League, and the inability to qualify for the tournament, in addition to the financial impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, could make Sancho’s departure inevitable. this summer.
Under normal circumstances, a striker like Martinez would have been untouchable, perhaps even for teams like PSG, but with the pandemic and the owners of Inter, the Chinese conglomerate Suning, with a closing the doors of one of its football operations in China, nothing can be ruled out.
Martinez, who emerged when he played at Racing Club de Avellaneda in Argentina as a teenager, has had a sweeping form playing with Inter this season. Linking well with Romelu Lukaku at the front, the Argentine international has scored 13 goals, usually assisting the Belgian – or being assisted by him.
With his intensity, his sixth sense for opportunism, his natural ability and his competitive drive, Martínez is a striker in the style of Luis Suárez or Carlos Tévez. Always on the move and excellently facing the onslaught of the opponent, he can also play on the left side in attack, from where he can cut inside to continue with his predominant foot. Very useful in the pressure game, he is also willing to help down.
One of the top three Ligue 1 players in recent seasons, Depay is an attractive proposition for a number of European giants as he will be available as a free agent in the summer. Depay wasted no time in overcoming his failed (albeit somewhat underestimated) stay at Manchester United while he quickly became a key player for Lyon since joining the club in January 2017.
While it has been reported that Barcelona and Juventus top the list of interested in the Dutch striker, it would not surprise anyone that PSG is also among the first. Primarily an open player in the Premier League, Depay has predominantly been deployed as a “fake No. 9” with Lyon – usually coming down to take over his role as playmaker or making room for the ends. His versatility, along with his amazing technical qualities and his ability to create danger with every touch he gives to the ball, indicate that the Lyon captain belongs to the elite of this game.
While a potential move between the two French rivals would not be to the liking of Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, PSG would no doubt rejoice at being able to deprive their rivals of their star player.
While Oyarzabal lacks the stellar appeal of the other two, it could be a very good addition – especially if PSG ends up following many of its domestic and European rivals by taking a more cautious path in the passing market. While in this scenario harnessing talent and resale value are key issues, in Mauricio Pochettino, PSG now has a coach who has never escaped the task of developing talent.
Excellent in the youth level, Oyarzabal has already added almost 200 appearances in league football with Real Sociedad and has been left with a starting position recently with the Spanish senior team. With a clever play across the court without the ball and an excellent left foot (although also very capable with the right), the 23-year-old Basque striker can operate at either end and is particularly useful when he can slide towards central areas to make passes to teammates running from midfield (has recorded an impressive amount of 35 key passes this season). Ten goals and six assists in the league this campaign suggest he could be about to take off.