5 players who are lucky to be at Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain are a side with ambitions of winning the Champions League. Over the course of the summer, they have boosted their squad to ensure it is of the highest standard, splashing out nearly €400 million on strikers Neymar and Kylian Mbappe alone.
As such, their squad is of the highest standard and boasts world-class players in many positions.
However, Unai Emery’s team is not the finished product yet, and even if they win the European Cup there will be areas in which they try to improve themselves – both in terms of first-team starters and on the bench.
In some areas, such as in attack, PSG are overstocked and have a surplus of talent, leading to quality forwards unable to get a look in. In others, they could do with strengthening.
Here are the players who must consider themselves fortunate to still be at the club for one reason or another.
#5 Javier Pastore
The 28-year-old Argentina international was one of the players who really got the PSG revolution going. He was the first star to sign for the club way back in 2011, showing the intent of the Parc des Princes side as they captured the Palermo star from under the noses of some of Europe’s finest teams.
Pastore’s influence was initially profound and provided him with a fan-favourite status that is maintained to this day. In his first season in France, he scored an impressive 13 goals in 33 league outings and was very much the fulcrum of an improving side. As PSG have developed, though, Pastore has failed to keep pace.
When he found the net against Amiens on the opening day of the season, that marked his 13th league goal since the end of his first campaign in Ligue 1. It took him more than five years and 130 appearances to get it. Last season, he did not find the net at all.
Injury problems have frustrated the playmaker, yet his slight frame and languid style do not make him especially suited to the top level of the game, no matter the incredible technical and mental talent that he has.
Admittedly, Pastore has enjoyed something of a renaissance this season, with four goals in 13 outings, but his persistent calf problems continue to trouble him.
With reports that PSG need to sell to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, he could well be one man to go.
Also read: 5 managers who could replace Unai Emery at Paris Saint-Germain