With Lionel Messi gone and both Kylian Mbappe and Neymar facing potential exits, Luis Enrique takes over a side in the midst of a major rebuild
'Goodbye, Lionel Messi. Thanks for the memories. You too, Kylian Mbappe. It's been a pleasure underwhelming with you – even if it wasn't always your fault. And the less said about you, Neymar, the better…'
Paris Saint-Germain may well end the transfer window having moved on from all three of their superstar forwards, a trifecta that really should have won them a lot of trophies, but failed to do so. They have also shed some other dead weight from their squad, as Luis Enrique becomes the latest manager to take up the poisoned chalice that is the PSG job.
Things, though, might be about to change. The former Barcelona and Spain boss has a project to work with. Instead of having three either narcissistic or reluctant superstars, he might not have any. Instead PSG are putting together a young, hungry team that may not draw the same levels of attention, but could grow into a more successful unit than their predecessors.
It isn't all that simple, though. PSG are probably somewhere in between a revamp and a rebuild (there's a difference between the two), meaning their may be teething problems early on. The majority of the new faces will be relied upon to make some sort of impact immediately, but also, the club hope, get better as the months roll on.
For once, however, there's some freedom here, with an undoubtedly talented manager to pull it all together. For the first time in years, everything could click at Parc des Princes.
Getty ImagesRealistic expectations
Well, PSG should win Ligue 1 every year, and they probably will again in 2023-24. The teams around them appear to have gotten worse, while a new manager should give the Parisians a vital boost. With one trophy near guaranteed, the focus turns to Europe.
The reality is, PSG are, on paper, far less equipped to win the Champions League than in year's past. Even the notoriously unbalanced sides that have crashed out of the competition in previous years had enough attacking quality to make something happen — theoretically, at least. This is a side with far less star power, especially if Mbappe and Neymar leave.
Realistically, they should make it through the group stages, and perhaps the first knockout round However, it's difficult to see them making it past the quarter-final, especially with the quality opponents they will have to face.
Elsewhere, there's room for development. Luis Enrique will hope that teenager Warren Zaire-Emery can become a top-class midfielder, while some of last year's disappointments find their feet in the French capital.
AdvertisementGettyBest-case scenario
It's difficult to identify what, exactly, success looks like in Paris. One trophy is expected, while the Coupe de France feels like a throw in. A domestic double would certainly be nothing to complain about, but the Champions League is always the barometer of success. A semi-final run, with enough promising performances to suggest there's more to come, would possibly flatter the Parisians a bit — but could be within reach.
More broadly, there are also some bridges to build here. PSG's notoriously vocal ultras haven't been above voicing their displeasure with the side in recent months, cultivating a toxic environment around the club. This is not something that can be amended by one Champions League run, or a series of good performances in the league. But if PSG play some good stuff, and perhaps slightly overperform, it would go a long way to getting the positive buzz back around the side.
Getty ImagesWorst-case scenario
Getting things right for PSG is very difficult, but it can be very easy for everything to go wrong. Ligue 1 isn't as easy as some on the internet suggest, but PSG have more money and better players than the rest of their competition. That is usually enough to win over a now-34 game season. Anything else would be a disaster.
And there is a world in which this happens. PSG's defensive issues from last year could continue, while the loss of Mbappe — and subsequent failure to find some more goals in the XI — might set the Parisians on a worrying course. A group-stage exit from the Champions League would also be disastrous, but PSG are in Pot 1, and should avoid any catastrophically difficult draws.
Getty ImagesThe MVP
If we're to presume that Mbappe and Neymar don't survive at the club until the end of the transfer window, then the main men within the squad are likely to be Marquinhos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi, and it is the right-back who may have the biggest role to play.
One of, if not the best player in his position in world football, Hakimi has been a consistent performer amid the chaos during his two seasons at Parc des Princes, and can provide an attacking thrust from a defensive position that few teams can match.
He must cut out the disciplinary problems that overshadowed the final weeks of last season, but presuming he does, then Hakimi could very quickly become the biggest superstar in Paris.