The departure of Kylian Mbappé (25) to Real Madrid at the end of the season will leave a gaping hole in Paris Saint-Germain’s attack. The Frenchman has papered over the cracks in a strange season where Les Parisiens have both purred and stuttered under Luis Enrique’s tutelage.
Mbappé over the past four years has recorded over 40 goals per season, and this campaign has been no exception. The problem, like against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-final, was apparent; when Mbappé was not firing, there was no one to cover the slack.
Gonçalo Ramos (22) is the next top scorer with 14 goals, then Randal Kolo Muani (25) with 12, Ousmane Dembélé (26) with five, and Bradley Barcola (21) with four. These numbers do not suggest a solution for when Mbappé leaves.
And yet, according to L’Équipe, Luis Enrique is not particularly concerned. He and his backroom staff think that when the superstar leaves there will be room for the other players to step out of the shadows and to grow.
The manager has continually assured the press that his team will be better next season, and without Mbappé there is a sense that he can finally mould the squad into his own image rather than having to negotiate a team that utilises the very obvious talents of the Frenchman.
In the transfer market, the departure of Mbappé also provides some flexibility. PSG will free up €200 million per year without the albatross contract of the French superstar, and this has led them down avenues which look to keep the club on their stated path of focusing on young, energetic talent that appreciates the ambitions of the collective.
L’Équipe lists several players that are featured on Les Parisiens’s shortlist: Victor Osimhen, Rafael Leão, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Bernardo Silva. While Xavi Simons, on loan away from the club, remains within their plans. However, there remains the question of where he wants to play with reports suggesting that he would like a loan move to Barcelona.
GFFN | Nick Hartland