Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique has declared his contentment with the current PSG squad despite the high-profile departure of Kylian Mbappe and a significant injury to newly acquired Goncalo Ramos. With the transfer window nearing its closure next week, Enrique downplayed the likelihood of further additions to the squad, emphasizing his confidence in the existing roster.
PSG has already made significant investments this summer, spending a reported €175 million (approximately $195 million), excluding bonuses, on four new players. However, the club has yet to secure a replacement for Mbappe in the striker position. The departure of their all-time leading scorer to Real Madrid left a significant void, and the situation was further complicated by Ramos’ injury. The Portuguese attacker sustained an ankle injury just 15 minutes into the opening Ligue 1 match last week, ruling him out for three months following surgery.
Despite the setbacks, Luis Enrique expressed confidence in his squad, stating that he is “delighted” with the team. “Unfortunately Goncalo picked up an injury. It is a blow, but we still have a very good team and I have full confidence in the players in my squad,” Enrique told reporters on the eve of PSG’s first home game against Montpellier. “The president (Nasser al-Khelaifi), (sporting director) Luis Campos and I are always open to improving the squad but it is very, very difficult to strengthen the team that we have.”
PSG recently completed the signing of Rennes winger Desire Doue for a reported €50 million. The 19-year-old, who played a key role in France’s silver medal win at the Paris Olympics, joined fellow youngster Joao Neves, also 19, who arrived from Benfica for a fee potentially reaching €69.9 million. The club also secured the services of Ecuador defender Willian Pacho from Eintracht Frankfurt and Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov from Krasnodar.
While speculation surrounding a move for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has cooled, Ramos’ absence leaves Randal Kolo Muani as the most obvious choice to lead the PSG attack. However, Enrique hinted at the possibility of utilizing Marco Asensio in an unorthodox center-forward role.
Despite the absence of a new striker, Enrique maintains his faith in the current squad, stating that he is “looking around to see if players are available at normal prices, but I am delighted with the team we have. I think the president and Luis Campos have already done really well in the transfer window. Everything is fine at the moment but if another player arrives then that’s perfect.”
With the transfer deadline approaching on August 30th, PSG is carefully considering its options, but for now, Luis Enrique is content with his team and ready to face the challenges ahead.
