"
This transfer window will be more active than the previous ones
", announced Nasser Al-Khelaïfi last June, in the columns of
L'Équipe
.
The least we can say is that the Qatari president of Paris Saint-Germain has kept his word.
“
The health crisis has impacted everyone, including us.
But we will be present, we have ambitions for this summer
", he had further indicated, hammering that"
all the great players want to come to PSG
".
Since then, the club of the capital has done strong, very strong, attracting in its nets two legends of the round ball, Lionel Messi (ex-Barça) and Sergio Ramos (ex-Real Madrid), and the best player of the last Euro, the Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma (ex-AC Milan), while strengthening two sectors so far deficient, the midfielder with “
Gini
” Wijnaldum (ex-Liverpool) and the right-back position, with Achraf Hakimi (ex-Inter) .
Add to this the exercise of the purchase option for Danilo Pereira (ex-Porto).
The account is good.
Read also: What Lionel Messi will report to PSG
At least if we don't look too closely at it when it comes to finances.
Certainly, financial fair play loosens its extinction this year, Covid-19 obliges, but all the same.
“
We need to change the rules of financial fair play and UEFA must work on it.
Knowing that we respect his decisions and that we will always do it
”, proclaimed precisely“
NAK
”in this same interview, a few weeks after having established himself as THE big winner of the Super League fiasco.
The same Super League, still defended by Real, Barcelona and Juve, which was to allow the greats of Europe to continue to assume their XXL lifestyle.
Paris made another choice.
Never seen
That of dreaming bigger. That of achieving a large, very large transfer window. Without doubt one of the best in the history of the round ball! Especially considering that PSG did not pay a penny for the transfers of Ramos, Messi, Wijnaldum and Donnarumma. For Hakimi, the note amounts to € 60 million excluding bonus. € 16 million for Danilo Pereira. Obviously, we will have to sell. For the moment, only Mitchel Bakker (Leverkusen, 7 M €) and Alphonse Areola (West Ham, loan with OA) have left, in addition to a few young people, on loan (Nagera, Bukla, Pembélé…). Others will follow (Icardi, Herrera, Danilo, Rico, Kurzawa, Kehrer, Rafinha, Sarabia ...). A priori, not Kylian Mbappé, whose contract expires in 2022 and who, for the time being, does not want to extend. Still, while waiting to have the last word of thehistory of Bondy's crack, we have never seen a club become so stronger in a single market. Especially not at this price. It should be noted in passing that recruiting a free player is not free, with signing bonuses and often higher salaries.
Let us remember that in 2012, Paris had signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva or Marco Verratti. In 2017, the club from the French capital broke the piggy bank to achieve the two biggest shots in football history, Neymar (€ 222 million) and Mbappé (€ 180 million, bonus included). Unless you imagine that Ramos and Messi, aged 35 and 34 respectively, will be quickly caught by Mother Nature, that Keylor Navas and "Gigio" Donnarumma kill each other in the locker room or that Hakimi magically loses one of his three lungs, history will undoubtedly remember that Paris-SG had its best transfer window this summer. And this even if the arrival of the "Pulga" probably puts an end to the Paul Pogba case and that a renowned left-back was hoped for (Théo Hernandez?) In the face of uncertainties concerning Juan Bernat,who is slow to find the ground after his cruciate ligament rupture.
Les Galactiques, Parisian sauce
“
Which clubs, in terms of ambition and project, can compete with PSG today?
», Wondered President Al-Khelaïfi, last June.
And the Qatari leader to add: “
We like to criticize PSG but we do not have to be ashamed.
We have a good team, a beautiful city, great supporters.
I can't think of a better club.
“In any case, Paris Saint-Germain has, more than ever, the means of its ambitions, its dream, the Champions League.
With experience, talent to spare and jobs doubled everywhere, Mauricio Pochettino has, in fact, almost no choice but to win it all.
Manchester City, Chelsea and a few others will find fault with the C1, however… "
The addition of Leo to our world-class team confirms the relevance and success of our recruitment.
With our remarkable coach and his staff, I am eager to see our team make history for all our supporters around the world,
”proclaims President Al-Khelaïfi.
One thing is certain: with the approach of the World Cup in Qatar at the end of next year, some thinking heads in Doha were obviously keen to strike a blow after several years of famine, everything is relative.
They weren't there with the back of the spoon.
Enough to recall the most beautiful hours of the Galacticos of Real.
We will have to find another name for the Parisian stars.
