The PSG is activated. Still waiting for a sign from Kylian Mbappé, and therefore in a sense “paralyzed”, the club with 11 French championship titles has a string of recruits. After Milan Skriniar, Marco Asensio and Manuel Ugarte at the weekend, Lee Kang-in on Saturday, not to mention coach Luis Enrique on Wednesday, the Rouge et Bleu are formalizing the arrival of Lucas Hernandez this Sunday. A big blow for Paris Saint-Germain, which thus offers the services of one of the members of the French team world champion in 2018, a framework of the Blues. Five-year contract for the native of… Marseille, whose arrival will not only make fans happy.
“You are not welcome from Marseille… And we will let you know”, recently launched the president of the Collectif Ultras Paris, Romain Mabille, when the transfer of the former Atlético player was already hardly in doubt. It promises… It must be said that Lucas Hernandez has never hidden his affection for OM, the historic rival, even if he has never worn the colors of the Marseille club. “I come from Marseille, I’m from Marseille, it’s going to be a bit complicated to go to Paris (laughs), but anything can happen in this life. Frankly, personally, I don’t think that would happen… today”, he said in recent years, during a conference of the France team.
A priori, the truth of one day is not that of the next day. And Lucas Hernandez therefore responded to the Parisian sirens. He will have to be adopted by the Parc des Princes. It will not be the easiest task, even if the 27-year-old player has, given his profile, really everything to please the Parisian public. Grinta, experience, duty player, one of the best players in the world in his register… “I had been waiting to join PSG for a long time, it finally happened”, swears the brother of Théo Hernandez, who has already “looking forward” to playing in front of the Park. “Paris or Marseille?” asks, almost embarrassed, Ambre Godillon on the club’s media. “Here is Paris,” he replies with a smile. Of course, it will take more than that to win over the fans…
In the meantime, it’s a nice move for PSG, which aims in particular to Frenchify the locker room this summer. There is talk of a transfer between 40 and 50 M€ all inclusive according to the sources to snatch him from Bayern. The player with 33 selections in Blue had only one year left on his contract in Munich. The “Rekordmeister” had spent €80 million to recruit him in 2019, a record amount in Germany. On the pitch, Hernandez, who will be replaced by South Korean Kim Min-Jae in Bavaria, has never disappointed. On the other hand, he was often injured. Moreover, he has not played since his rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament on November 22, during the first match of the Blues at the World Cup in Qatar. However, he resumed training several weeks ago.
In the past, PSG has often lacked bite, aggressiveness, impact in duels. With Lucas Hernandez, winner of the 2020 Champions League against… Paris Saint-Germain, the Parisian recruiters cannot have been wrong… The warrior of the Blues is now the warrior of the Reds and Blues. To see how Luis Enrique, the new coach of Paris-SG, intends to use it. Left-handed, he can either evolve on the left or in the axis. He therefore arrives to compete with both Nuno Mendes and Presnel Kimpembe, knowing that “Lucho” is a follower of the four-man defense. Moreover, it is said that Juan Bernat is placed on the transfer list. Logic. Recall that Luis Enrique will have four international level players in central hinge with Marquinhos, Kimpembe and rookies Hernandez and Skriniar. Ironic when you remember that Christophe Galtier was often forced to tinker for his defense… at three last season.
The arrival of Lucas Hernandez obviously does not close the Paris transfer window. Next scheduled announcement? That of Cher Ndour, this young (18 years old) Italian midfielder who arrives, free, from Benfica. Then there will be the file of the centre-forward (Kolo Muani, Kane, Osimhen?) and the striker on the right. Others maybe too. But Luis Campos and company will also focus on reducing the workforce. The team reported in recent hours that Mauro Icardi will return to Galatasaray – where he was loaned last season – for ten million euros. Other players are placed on the transfer list, from Keylor Navas to Julian Draxler, via Gini Wijnaldum. Kylian Mbappé is not there… yet. It’s up to him to decide: either he extends or Paris will seek to sell him this summer. This is what has been said for weeks away from the microphones, off. This is what Nasser Al-Khelaïfi said on Wednesday. The Parisian leaders still hope to keep him for another year, before transferring him in 2024.
