Paris Saint Germain is a star-studded team with many players not getting enough starts or effectively contributing to the team. If PSG wants to compete for the biggest title in Europe, they need to reinforce some major loopholes, and before they can do that, they need to free up the wage bill. It will not be easy as most players do not have prospective buyers.
Unless this is done, backing PSG when you engage in Champions League betting in next season’s knockout stages might be bad. The reason is that there is a high chance the UCL woes continue with these same crops of players. In that case, we expect a massive flush out when the summer transfer window opens up.
When we look at the different players on the squad list, there are five players we believe should not be on the list when the 2022/2023 regular season comes. In that case, below are the five players we think should go and why.
Mauro Icardi
Mauro Icardi’s move from Inter Milan was quite shocking, although the team needed a striker. However, with his on and off-pitch problems, buying Icardi proved to be a bad decision from the board, and as a result, the player has only registered 10 goals since his move to the team in 2019. And with Messi, Neymar, Mbappe, and Di Maria upfront, it is near impossible for him to make the team.
In addition to that, PSG might go for another forward with Mbappe looking like he would finally be joining Madrid this summer. As a result, the 29-year-old needs to move to another team where he can flourish and play regularly to regain the great goalscoring form that we know he possesses.
Julian Draxler
Since his move from Wolfsburg, Draxler hasn’t hit his potential in Paris. He has been in and out of the team and hasn’t impacted the team in plenty of ways. The German has been struggling to get game time since his move in 2017, and with more reinforcement, the 28-year-old doesn’t even make it into the squad list sometimes.
s a result, it would be great for the team and the player to go different ways, even though he recently signed an extension to 2024. With two more years on his contract, the team can make some money off him, which is the best-case scenario as things stand. He is still in his prime. Therefore, many teams across Europe would be happy to have him in their ranks.
Keylor Navas
The signing of Donnaruma has reduced the playing time for Navas in-between the sticks. The goalkeeper hasn’t been bad, but he would need to move on from the team unless he wants to remain backup. Although he’s 35 now, as a goalkeeper, he still has 2-3 active years in him, and he needs to play regularly to maintain his form.
In addition, Navas leaving would mean there is room for a new backup keeper, and Denis Franchi, Garissone Innocent, or Lucas Lavallee can take up that role in the team. As a result, the youngsters can build up their confidence with little game time whenever Donnarumma needs rest.
Juan Bernat
The 29-year-old Spanish defender is another name on our list. He has been on the team since 2018 after signing from Bayern Munchen. However, with the bolstering list of players in the PSG’s defensive rank, it is hard for him to make it into the team. We have him struggling for game time, and he’s only called upon for insignificant games.
As a 29-year-old, he needs game time, and certainly, he can’t get that in PSG. Therefore, he would have to go in the summer. Undoubtedly, he is a versatile player that can take up any role on the left, but with Nuno Mendes, Pablo Sarabia, and Neymar Jr, there is no space for him in the starting lineup.
Ander Herrera
Herrera is a hard worker, but we believe his time in Paris is done. Even though he hasn’t been poor for the team, going into the new season and the possibility of Paul Pogba coming, it will not be easy for him to get playing time. The team is already choked up. Therefore, there is a need for space next season.
Unfortunately, we think the Spaniard is one of the players that should leave in the summer. We enjoyed watching Herrera, and his work rate is beautiful. But the team needs a technical midfielder as Gini Wiljnadum, Marco Verratti, or Idrissa Gueye can do what Herrera does for the team.
Bottom Line
The team needs a rework before the start of the new season, which would mean some players are not making it back into the squad. Going by the top professionals in the squad, these five are the ones we think should be offloaded to make room for reinforcement.
