The old PSG is no more.
PSG has changed its transfer strategy. Just a couple of years ago, the club would chase at least a couple of superstars during every transfer window. But the summer window of 2024 showed that there have been ideological changes in Paris. This is also reflected in the more lenient attitude towards PSG's struggles under coach Luis Enrique. Now, the process takes precedence over immediate results. Here's how the main club in France operates now.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi commented on the team's performance during the season in November:
"I want to say one thing: we go into every match to win. We have a young team. We must be realistic. We have experienced players, but also young ones. The goal is not to win the Champions League this season, but to maintain our style. In my opinion, we have the best coach in the world right now. He is building a project for the future. Results are important, but we are still focused on our project."
Until 2024, PSG had been consistently making top transfers, either in terms of the transaction amount or the status of the players they signed. Neymar for €222 million, Kylian Mbappé for €180 million, Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, and Gianluigi Donnarumma as free agents, Achraf Hakimi for €68 million, and the massive summer campaign of 2023 with €450 million spent. However, PSG had yet to reach the coveted Champions League title. The superstars brought imbalance to the team, both on and off the field (the trio of Mbappé – Messi – Neymar would rest during defense while others worked hard, and there were off-field issues like Neymar's carnivals, Mbappé's saga with Real Madrid, and Messi's conflicts with management). PSG simply grew tired of investing in elite players without the desired return. Winning Ligue 1 and the French Cup could easily be achieved with their second-string players.
Mbappé's potential move to Real Madrid became a turning point. L’Equipe reported in May 2024: "PSG has adopted a new approach to their transfer policy. They are now focused on building a young team with players who have no big egos. Coach Luis Enrique, one of the most dogmatic in Europe, is perfect for this kind of project. He will prioritize less talented but more hardworking and team-oriented players."The first signs of this strategy appeared in the summer of 2023, but at that time, the club was spending huge amounts to replace Messi and Neymar. By June-August 2024, the updated project was fully underway.
"There are many rumors about players, but we are very clear. We have one of the youngest teams in Europe, if not the youngest. We are building a team for the future together with our amazing coach. We have a long-term plan. Our players are united, and we have a fantastic squad with a great atmosphere. There will always be rumors in the media. Of course, newspapers need to sell. But I believe in our project, system, coach, and plan," said Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
PSG's sports advisor, Luis Campos, initiated the restructuring process in June. Of course, PSG follows a balanced approach. If a top player becomes available at a reasonable price, PSG will enter the race. However, the club will no longer chase after footballers just for the sake of signing them. For example, the media linked PSG to Mohamed Salah amid rumors about the winger leaving Liverpool, but Al-Khelaifi denied the information: "That's not true. He is an amazing, fantastic player, but honestly, we never considered him. We know that every club would love to sign him, but these rumors are simply not true."In the summer, leading French journalist Daniel Riolo claimed that PSG would spend any amount to acquire Nico Williams. When it comes to money, they always achieve their goals. However, PSG did not flood the 2024 European Champion with huge sums. Instead, they spent €50 million on 19-year-old winger Désiré Doué from Rennes. PSG now prefers to bring in young players (Barcola, Doué, Mendes, Neves, Lee Kang-in) or academy graduates (Zaire-Emery) rather than pumping millions into top stars.
So, who came to the club in the last transfer window?
Another concept in PSG’s strategy is versatility. PSG is looking for players capable of playing multiple positions and performing different roles. For example, Marco Asensio can play on both wings, as a "false nine," or an attacking midfielder. João Neves and Vitinha can serve as defensive midfielders or box-to-box players. Lee Kang-in or Bradley Barcola also have versatility in attack. Luis Enrique (like his friend Pep Guardiola) loves players who can play positional football, where the foundation is player interchangeability.
So far, the new approach hasn't yielded dramatic results. In Ligue 1, PSG leads comfortably, but in the Champions League, they are struggling. Three losses in five matches and a 25th place overall – this is not what the Parisians expected. However, the club's bosses are patient and have faith in the new strategy. PSG's squad is the third youngest in the Champions League, with an average age of 23.8 years. For comparison, Manchester City's is 27.5 years, and Real Madrid's is 27. So, PSG just needs to be patient and keep working.
