2018 Fifa World Cup winner for France, Lucas Hernandez has signed a five-year contract with French club Paris Saint-Germain as he leaves German giants Bayern Munich after four years. PSG has signed the 27-year-old defender for the reported fee of 40 million euros.
Source: Transfermarkt
Hernandez Crucial to PSG’s Remodelling
The French defender’s experience at the top level would be invaluable for PSG who are going through a transition under newly appointed coach Luis Enrique who stresses giving preference to young talents over big names.
The Ligue1 winners have been quite active in the transfer window and have already signed a number of top prospects. Hernandez, whose brother, Theo, plays for AC Milan, said, “I’m feeling so happy, I’ve been waiting to join PSG for some time now, and at last, it’s happened,” expressing his delight.
The four-time Bundesliga winner will join the likes of Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Hakimi, and Nuno Mendes to add more steel to PSG’s backline.
The French capital saw an unprecedented influx of global superstars in 2021, as they turned heads by roping in Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum, Achraf Hakimi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and most spectacularly, Lionel Messi.
Source: Goal
The big names came with big expectations as PSG fans dreamt about their maiden Champions League triumph with new fervor.
The star-studded ensemble joined an already superstar-packed group with the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Marco Verratti, Angel Di Maria, and Leandro Paredes.
However, things soon started heading south for the French club, as then-manager Mauricio Pochettino failed to get the best out of the team.
Ramos’ first team appearances were hindered by injuries. While Mbappe with an aging Messi, and the injury-prone Neymar were often found walking as they failed to track back and help their teammates defensively.
Similarly, Messi, having assumed a deeper role in the midfield, couldn’t replicate his prolific performances for Barcelona while Neymar, who PSG signed for a world record fee of €222 million from Barcelona in 2017, looked only a shadow of himself.
Although they won Ligue 1 in both seasons, back-to-back disappointments in UCL turned the fans against many of the stars, most notably Messi and Neymar. PSG were knocked out from the last-16 in consecutive seasons by Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively.
PSG’s Transfers
The Paris-based club have so far signed Milan Skriniar from Inter on a free transfer, Marco Asensio from Real Madrid (Free), Kang-in Lee from Mallorca, and Uruguayan Manuel Ugarte from Sporting C.P., in addition to Hernandez.
Source: Twitter
They seem to have finally moved on from their policy of signing superstars with hefty price tags, much in the vein of Real Madrid, and invest more in young talents who would reap high resale value in the future.
They continue to be linked with Randal Kolo Muani, Victor Osimhen, Youssouf Fofana, Khephren Thuram, and Moussa Diaby, in their bid to rebuild a strong squad.
The club saw the exodus of most of the legendary figures who came two years ago. Messi joined Inter Miami in a shock move, while Ramos, Di Maria, Wijnaldum, and Paredes have also left in this period. The relationship between the club and Neymar also seems to have collapsed as the Brazilian is expected to leave the club.
However, the biggest setback to PSG could yet come should Mbappe leave after rejecting a new contract offer from the club. Mbappe’s contract ends in 2024, which means PSG would be under pressure to sell him instead of letting him go for free next year.
