PSG: Ugarte essential, Dembélé in chiaroscuro, Lee questioning… First assessment of the 11 recruits

PSG played like crazy this summer. Not counting Xavi Simons, repatriated for €6 million and immediately loaned to Leipzig, 11 recruits came to swell the Parisian ranks during a hectic transfer window in terms of arrivals, but also departures. The club says it is very confident from the point of view of financial fair play, even if some have questions after several transfers to Qatar (Verratti, Draxler, Diallo). On the pitch, the idea was to rejuvenate the squad and put in place a team that plays... as a team, if possible with more French players than in the past. The transfer window of renewal for PSG, entering a “new era” according to Nasser Al-Khelaïfi. Three months after the resumption of training and a month and a half after the three rounds of the Ligue 1 season, where are these recruits? The point before Clermont-PSG this Saturday afternoon (5 p.m.), during the seventh day of L1.

Cador. Unknown when he arrived for €60 million from Sporting, or not known at all in fact, Manuel Ugarte was quickly adopted by everyone. A tireless recovery player, the 22-year-old Uruguayan midfielder is also valuable in the construction of the game, he who plays quickly, simple and fair. Revelation. “There are many things on which he can improve, like all players,” Luis Enrique recently indicated, already won over by his grinta. He was a big revelation for many supporters but he was already playing very well at Sporting. He's a big recruit, Luis Campos has worked very well. He has a lot of room for improvement in all aspects of the game, in attack, in defense, he is a young player who has a strong character. He is important because he brings balance to the team. It’s one of the surprises at the start of the season.” An excellent surprise. His absence against Nice (2-3 defeat) confirmed that he is already essential to the functioning of the PSG machine.

Also read “Every match is a fight”: meeting with Lucas Hernandez, the PSG warrior

Unlike Ugarte, no one discovered Lucas Hernandez and Ousmane Dembélé when they arrived on the banks of the Seine. World champions with the Blues in 2018, they brought what was expected of them: the grinta and the taste for duels for the tireless Hernandez and the sense of show and risk-taking, the ability to stretch the opposing block for Dembélé. The second named, however, was widely criticized for his waste, cascading lost balls and other gross failures in front of goal. Still looking for his first goal, the ex-Barcelona player delivered a first assist against OM (4-0) on Sunday. In any case, waste is part of your game, you have to deal with it. “I will pay to see him play,” Luis Enrique recently raged, flying to the aid of a player who has “different qualities” and even “magic”. Note that his association with Achraf Hakimi on the right is very promising, while the versatile profile of Lucas Hernandez allows “Lucho” to easily move from a line of four to a three-man defense.

Clumsy for their first outings, Randal Kolo Muani and Gonçalo Ramos unlocked their counter against OM (4-0) last Sunday. And this to the great happiness of Kylian Mbappé: “Liberation. Congratulations goleadors on your first goals. We hope for many more.” An attacker needs to score, to feel the nets shake. They are free of this pressure. Their season has started. A priori, the two players will compete for the position of central attacker. Two very different profiles, which offer several options to Luis Enrique, who bet on “RKM” in the last two matches. What about Clermont?

Courted from the summer of 2022, and again last winter, Milan Skriniar finally joined PSG in the offseason, at the end of his contract at Inter. A solid player in duels, good with the head and clear-sighted when restarting. However, he is only good against the game. When the defenders go behind his back, it is better for Marquinhos to hang around to catch the shots... His association with Danilo Pereira turned into a nightmare against Nice. In short, a rock whose deficit in terms of speed and especially at the start requires him to be associated with a fast player, like Marquinhos, who is finding his best level, and perhaps Lucas Hernandez or Presnel Kimpembe in the future.

Entered the game in Lyon (4-1 victory) 48 hours after his transfer from OL and against Nice (2-3), not used against Dortmund (2-0), Bradley Barcola had his first start against OM. And this at the position… of piston/left winger, in Luis Enrique’s 3-4-3 or 3-3-4. Guess what ? The international Espoirs did very well, with a lot of self-sacrifice but also an ability to eliminate and give good balls. "I was very happy. Already because I was a starter, the fact of having this opportunity. I was able to show good things,” he stressed. And added, regarding the competition: “There are a lot of good players. Training with players like that makes you progress. Just seeing them play, and even more so playing with them, is very good for me.” The right attitude.

Luis Enrique is won over. “It was a goal of the club's sports management, the management and one of mine too. He only played the last six months with OL but showed his level. It was a clear objective throughout the transfer window, due to his youth and his quality. He's been with us for two or three weeks (arrived in the last days of the transfer window, Editor's note), but he confirms that his characteristics are there, and they are important for our style, in dribbling, in going into spaces , ball striking, very good physically… He’s a player with a future,” he swears. And now.

When Real lets a player go at the end of his contract, it's never a good sign. Marco Asensio is a former great hope... who has never really been confirmed. Before getting injured with La Roja, he made three starts in the first four matches, in a false nine role. With two goals and an assist to boot. Enough to demonstrate that he could find his place in the rotation upon his return, even if he is not a priori an indisputable starter like Hernandez, Ugarte, Milan Skriniar or even Dembélé.

Very prominent during the preparation but rather disappointing during his two starts against Lorient (0-0) - before the reinstatement of Mbappé - and Toulouse (1-1), Kang-in Lee already represents a success... on the plan of image and jersey sales, he who enjoys an XXL popularity rating in his country of origin, South Korea, and generally in Asia, as we could see during the tour of summer in Japan. Injuries and a call-up to the national team for the Asian Games have, however, deprived him of playing time recently. We will still have to wait to find out if the former Mallorca player is intended to be as valuable on the field as off it.

Aged 22, Arnau Tenas was poached from Barça, where he was at the end of his contract. Although he never kept goals for the first team, he was a starter and even captain with the Catalan reserve. Tenas was also number 1 with the Spanish Espoirs and with the U19s. “I define myself as a goalkeeper with a lot of personality and character. I'm not afraid of anything. And then I think I'm a very agile goalkeeper, with good kicking. I already want to train, to learn,” he explains, he who is regularly summoned to Luis Enrique’s group but who we have not yet seen in action. With Keylor Navas' package, he will (a priori) be number 2 in Clermont.

Cher Ndour was entitled to a handful of minutes (4) in Lyon (4-1 victory). But the young (19 years old) Italian international midfielder is not on the list of 24 players for the Champions League. Formerly of Benfica, he is awaiting his turn in Ligue 1. “He has already played with us in Lyon. He is very young. He has great potential, but he hasn't had much playing time yet. He works very well and is always available. He will get minutes during the season. In a squad of 23, 24 players, there is not room for everyone... Young players have to learn. He’s a player with a future,” Luis Enrique said as recently as Friday.