After more problems in the Champions League and Mbappé’s exit close, what’s next for PSG?

On the one hand, there are positive aspects to celebrate at Paris Saint-Germain: they have won another Ligue 1 title and a French Super Cup, they face a French Cup final against Lyon (a team they beat by a combined 8-2 in two games this season) at the end of the month, and can feel good about reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-finals with the youngest team in the competition.

All of that is worth being proud of, but on the other hand, there is an overwhelming sense of failure. The Champions League final was there and it represented an incredible opportunity to get back there, four years after the last and only one, which they lost to Bayern Munich behind closed doors during the coronavirus pandemic. And what a way it could have been for Kylian Mbappé to end his PSG career by lifting the only trophy he never managed to win at the club.

As is often the case, PSG’s season comes down to whether you see the glass half empty or half full. Football is done like this. The Parc des Princes was dressed for the occasion, full of red and blue colors, passion and songs. But the players and Luis Enrique, aided by some bad luck (like hitting Dortmund’s goalposts or the crossbar four times in 90 minutes and failing to score despite an xG of 3.25), let them down.

So what’s next for this superclub? With Mbappé leaving this summer, where do they go from now on?

Luis Enrique has reinforced his position as coach

Since Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) bought the club in the summer of 2011, the Champions League campaign has always been what has defined PSG’s seasons. Managers were routinely fired for not meeting their targets or not going far enough, but that standard will not apply to Luis Enrique. The Spaniard has one more season left on his contract and the club is very happy with both his work and the evolution of this young team this season. He has been able to create an identity, a unity and a team spirit that did not exist before, when first team squads were dominated by individuals.

“He will definitely be there next season to continue what he started to build this season,” a source told ESPN yesterday at the Parc des Princes after the game. Talks should even begin soon for an extension, ESPN has learned. The club knows that to finally win the Champions League, its Holy Grail, it needs a solid foundation and stability, things that Luis Enrique has successfully fostered in this group.

Of course, he has made mistakes this season. Their 4-2-4 formation in the group game at Newcastle (and his decision to maintain it throughout the match) was impossible to justify as they lost 4-1. Starting Marco Asensio as a false 9 against Barcelona in the first leg of the quarterfinals was also a bad idea, as was removing Gonçalo Ramos on Tuesday against Dortmund to replace him with Asensio himself. The list goes on, but all managers have to make decisions and choices and never get everything right.

At the beginning of the campaign, the goal was not to win the Champions League this season, but next season. They would have taken him now if they could, of course, but in this sense, PSG and their coach are ahead of schedule.

The king is dead, long live the king

That’s it: Mbappé will never wear the PSG shirt in Europe again. It all ended like this, in his house, where he dreamed of bringing the Champions Cup as a farewell gift; Unfortunately, all he delivered were tears, regrets, and blows on both posts.

The Paris-born superstar took responsibility for his team’s elimination, admitting that he didn’t do enough and should have scored like people expected him to. But what happened to the saying that “great games belong to great players”? Mbappé was not present for the first leg in Germany last week, and she was not much present in Paris on Tuesday either. (Vitinha, the Portuguese midfielder from Porto in 2022, was arguably PSG’s biggest offensive threat.)

Mbappé believed, like those around him, that it was written in the stars: his destiny was to play in the Wembley final against Real Madrid, his future club, and shine there. Instead, his last game will be the French Cup final in Lille on May 25. It’s not the same vibe or motivation.

The raucous Parc des Princes crowd never chanted Mbappé’s name on Tuesday, which is noteworthy, and the entire evening was a clear summary of his seven years at the club: many individual successes and records, but also some huge ones. missed opportunities. In this competition alone, obviously we have this semi-final, that of Manchester City in 2021, when he said that he was not in top form (the club, to this day, is still in dispute) and the 2020 final. Of course, when in the 0-0 against Bayern he wasted a great opportunity to beat Manuel Neuer from a great position.

With his on-again, off-again outing finally here, fans showed Tuesday night that they’re ready for support from a new generation of stars.

A template to change and reinforce

Mbappé’s departure should lead PSG to have a transfer budget of around €300 million to invest this summer, a source told ESPN on Tuesday. Between the Frenchman’s salary savings, the bonuses he gives up when he leaves and the funds already allocated, the club will have many opportunities to reinforce its squad, and it is necessary.

For this team to continue progressing and growing it needs to spend, and it will start by finding Mbappé’s replacement. It could be a straight swap on the left wing (someone like Milan’s Rafael Leão) or it could be a prolific centre-forward/number 9 like Napoli’s Victor Osimhen or Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, even though PSG already have Randal. Kolo Muani and Ramos, for whom they spent 150 million euros in fees last summer. They could also opt for a marquee signing like Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah if he is available.

The midfield also needs more depth and quality. As good as Vitinha has been all season and the revelation that is 18-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery, PSG’s midfield has always felt too light to compete with other top clubs. They need experience there, as well as more creativity and more options. This will be addressed in the summer, with the likes of Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) and Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle United) on the club’s shortlist.

Defensively things are well covered. Lucas Beraldo is only 20 years old and I hope he learns from his mistakes; The same is expected from Nuno Mendes at left back. What about Gigio Donnarumma in goal? He’s been great on his line for most of the season, but his weaknesses in the corners have cost his team at times and his distribution isn’t great either. Luis Enrique and Luis Campos (the latter is PSG’s sporting director, although his future is also uncertain considering that he arrived because Mbappé wanted him) could consider other options.