PSG has gotten everyone's eye this summertime with their transfer business. Les Parisians moved straight for defensive reinforcements after signing Georginio Wijnaldum on a three-year deal as a free agent. Paris Saint-Germain have signed Inter full-back Achraf Hakimi, along with Sergio Ramos and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, as part of their summer recruitment drive. PSG will pay Inter an initial €60 million plus up to €11 million in add-ons for Hakimi, who has signed a contract until 2026. It is likely the finest list of free agents signing for the same club in the same window, with the arrivals of Wijnaldum, Donnarumma, and Ramos.
The team is hoping to bounce back after a poor season in which they finished second to Lille and were eliminated from the Champions League in the semi-finals by Manchester City. They also expanded their search for two talented Frenchmen with just one year left on their present contract, Pogba, and Camavinga, who might provide fantastic value and inexpensive chances. With so many quality arrivals so far, how could PSG lineup in the coming season? Here we take a look at the best lineup Mauricio Pochettino could deploy in the coming season.
Goalkeeper – Gianluigi Donnarumma
The 22-year-old Italian joined PSG on a free transfer after failing to reach an agreement with AC Milan to extend his contract, which expired on June 30. In the recently finished Euro 2020 tournament, UEFA named him Player of the Tournament. He will compete with four-time Champions League winner Keylor Navas for the starting spot. It’ll be interesting to see how Pochettino manages to rotate between two world-class goalkeepers or he prefers one over the other. Donnarumma had 14 clean sheets in 37 games across all competitions in 2020-21. Navas also had 14 shutouts despite only playing in eight games. In those games, the Costa Rican allowed only 18 goals, whereas Donnarumma allowed 38.
Defenders – Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos, Marquinhos, Layvin Kurzawa
Les Parisians have made two defensive reinforcements so far in the transfer window, Hakimi and Ramos. They are also in the transfer market for a left-back with Theo Hernandez as a potential target. But if that transfer fails to happen, they already have Diallo and Kurzawa to step up. Despite the fact that PSG has been connected with a slew of defensive additions, their first-choice central defensive options seem fixed. Marquinhos, the club captain, is an automatic starter alongside Sergio Ramos, and he'll be one of the first names on the team sheet even if they attempt to enhance their options. When Thiago Silva departed PSG last summer, the team lost a wealth of expertise, so what better way to replace him than with Sergio Ramos?
Midfielders – Georginio Wijnaldum, Idrissa Gueye, Marco Verratti
Paris Saint-Germain have plenty of midfielders in their squad and they probably didn’t need a midfield reinforcement this summer. Currently, they have Wijnaldum, Herrera, Idrissa Gueye, Verratti, Paredes, Danilo, Rafinha, Fadiga on their roster. PSG probably didn't want to sign Georginio Wijnaldum, but they did so to show they could. Wijnaldum was very close to reuniting with Ronald Koeman at Barcelona but PSG stepped in and signed the Dutchman on a free transfer. Wijnaldum is a quality addition and he is expected to be a starter for Les Parisians in the coming season. Idrissa Gana Gueye was one of the top performers for PSG last season and he gets the nod for the defensive midfield spot in the lineup ahead of Danilo and Paredes. Marco Verratto completes the three-man midfield. Verratti was brilliant for his national team in the recently concluded UEFA Euros and he will be a starter under Pochettino if he remains fit throughout the season.
Forwards – Angel Di Maria, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar
Angel Di Maria is in the twilight of his career at 33, but his form from last season and the recently concluded Copa America show he can still play at the highest level, and after signing a one-year agreement with PSG, it appears they will focus on other positions before looking for a replacement. Mbappe has been linked with a move to Real Madrid as he has just one year remaining on his contract and if PSG fails to extend his contract, he may become a free agent and leave. But Leonardo and Nasser Al-Khelaifi will try to extend his contract for the long term. Neymar is another player who will undoubtedly play a key role in their bid to reclaim the Ligue 1 title. He has reached an agreement, according to French media, that will pay him a 30 million euro annual salary until 2025.
