Following investment from the State of Qatar in 2011, Paris Saint-Germain have long chased European success. However, despite their best efforts regarding incoming signings and managerial appointments, the reigning French champions have yet to fulfill their ambition of achieving sustained Champions League success. Despite that, early suggestions from the 2019-20 season indicate that PSG could finally be ready to take that next step in European football.
As a result, we’re going to analyze the potential impact of two of Thomas Tuchel’s summer signings.
Idrissa Gueye
Despite a failed move to the French champions back in January, Gueye eventually completed his move to Paris for around $33 million in July from Everton. For many years, the position has been a weakness within the PSG setup, with both Grzegorz Krychowiak and Thiago Motta failing to deliver consistently in Europe. Since arriving at PSG, the Senegalese defensive midfielder has hit the ground the running, and, in the eight games that he’s started, PSG have won every match, including a 3-0 home win over Real Madrid.
During that victory over Zinedine Zidane’s side, Gueye delivered a dominating midfield performance. Throughout the 90 minutes, the 30-year-old midfielder had a pass success rate of 93 per cent, along with also completing three successful dribbles and four well-timed tackles.
Following back-to-back victories in their opening two matches in Group A, PSG are being valued at around 8/1 to win the Champions League. The lack of a clear favourite in the Champions League means that the prospect of Tuchel’s team claiming European glory is a real possibility, especially when you consider the impact that Gueye has made in just a few months, and with Bonus Finder, you can click to see a range of bonuses including Betway and Unibet’s sportsbook offers if you want to take advantage of these odds.
Keylor Navas
Much like the defensive midfield position, PSG have struggled to find a consistent, world-class goalkeeper over the last few seasons. Having gone through Alphonse Areola, Gianluigi Buffon, Kevin Trapp and Salvatore Sirigu, it appears that Les Parisiens may finally have found the right man to take them to the next level. After winning twelve trophies at Real Madrid, including three consecutive Champions League titles, Keylor Navas has the experience and knowhow that this youthful PSG side has so often lacked in European competitions.
Upon completing his $16.5 million move from Los Blancos, in which Areola went the other way on loan, the Costa Rican signed a four-year deal with PSG. Similarly to Gueye, the 32-year-old’s impact has been there for all to see in his opening displays. In seven competitive starts, Navas has won six matches, keeping clean sheets in all but one of those fixtures. As a result, Tuchel’s team currently sit two points clear of second-placed Nantes in Ligue 1, while also being four points ahead of Club Brugge in Group A in the Champions League.
Well Equipped to Mount a Challenge
While there are still many twists and turns to come throughout the season, it’s undeniable that PSG are well-placed to mount a serious challenge in Europe this time around. With Navas’ experience and Gueye’s work ethic, the French champions may finally end their long wait for Champions League glory under their Qatari owners.
