"I will work to reach his level" - PSG summer signing reveals team-mate he wants to emulate
New Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) recruit Nuno Mendes believes fellow right-back Achraf Hakimi is a much more established player than he is. The young Portuguese has claimed that he will work extremely hard to reach the Moroccan star's high standards.
Speaking to French publication Le Perisien (via Le10 Sport), Nuno Mendes has assured his new team that he is ready to do whatever Mauricio Pochettino asks him to do whilst at PSG to reach Achraf Hakimi's levels. Nuno Mendes said:
"I have not seen many games of Hakimi but I trained with him today. I could see that he is a very offensive player, very fast. We have a similar profile, indeed, but he is already far ahead of me. I will work to reach his level. I'm here to help the team, I'll do whatever the coach asks me to do."
Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi were two of several players PSG signed this summer in one of the most productive transfer windows in the club's history. Nuno Mendes arrived from Portuguese side Sporting CP on an initial loan deal with an option to make the move permanent come next summer.
On the other hand, Achraf Hakimi was one of two players whom PSG signed for a transfer fee. The Parisian giants paid €60 million to bring in the right-back from Serie A champions Inter Milan.
PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino has two great options to play at right-back, which has always been a problematic position for the Ligue 1 ever since their Qatari takeover.
It is worth noting that Nuno Mendes is just 19-years-old and could be a long-term plan for PSG as they aim to consolidate themselves among Europe's elite clubs.
PSG have to navigate a tough Champions League draw
PSG have been drawn into a difficult Champions League group alongside Premier League champions Manchester City, RB Leipzig and Club Brugge.
The Parisian giants have struggled to win Europe's elite club competition despite their big-money takeover in 2011. The only time PSG have come close to winning the Champions League is when they finished runners-up to Hansi Flick's Bayern Munich in 2020.
However, the arrivals of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma have made PSG one of the favorites to lift the Champions League this season.
Also Read: Paul Merson's predictions for Manchester United vs Newcastle and other Premier League GW4 fixtures