Paris Saint-Germain is entering a new chapter following the departure of Kylian Mbappé, and the reigning French champions have maintained a relatively low profile as they prepare for life without their superstar forward.
Mbappé’s move to Real Madrid, following the expiration of his contract in June, ended a prolific seven-year tenure with the Qatar-owned club, during which he scored an astonishing 256 goals, becoming their all-time leading scorer.
Mbappé’s exit leaves a significant void, one so immense that PSG seems to have concluded that no single player could adequately fill it. Coach Luis Enrique will lead his team to Normandy to face Le Havre on Friday for the opening night of the new Ligue 1 season without having secured a marquee signing to directly replace Mbappé.
Despite this, PSG has been active in the summer transfer market, and they may still pursue a top-class striker before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.
Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, who previously excelled in Ligue 1 with Lille, has been linked with a move to Paris, though it remains uncertain whether he would align with Luis Enrique’s preferred style of play.
For now, PSG’s transfer efforts have focused elsewhere, with approximately 125 million euros ($132.2 million) invested in three new players. Nineteen-year-old Portuguese midfield sensation João Neves, who represented his country at Euro 2024, has joined from Benfica for 59.9 million euros, a fee that could increase by 10 million euros with bonuses.
The defense has been bolstered by the acquisition of 22-year-old Ecuadorian center-back Willian Pacho from Eintracht Frankfurt, for a potential total of 45 million euros. PSG’s first summer signing was Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, 25, who arrived from Krasnodar for a reported 20 million euros. Safonov will challenge Gianluigi Donnarumma for the starting position in goal.
While Mbappé’s departure is significant, PSG has retained the core of their team from last season and has also integrated teenage Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Moscardo, who was signed from Corinthians in January but remained on loan there for an additional six months.
French international wingers Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola are expected to build on their strong performances from last season, while the hope is that Randal Kolo Muani and Gonçalo Ramos—who together scored 23 goals in the last campaign—will step up to help fans move on from Kylian Mbappé’s departure.
The era of signing veteran stars like Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos appears to be over, with captain Marquinhos, at 30, likely being the oldest member of the starting lineup this season. The only major name to pose with a PSG shirt alongside president Nasser al-Khelaifi this summer has been NBA star Kevin Durant, who has invested in the club.
In May, Luis Enrique acknowledged, “He [Mbappé] is obviously a different player, and we can’t replace him with just one player. Forget it.
There is no substitute for Kylian Mbappé.” He added, “We will need to replace him with the team as a whole, and perhaps with four, five, or six new signings.”
PSG’s transfer activities are likely not finished, but for now, the team will gradually ease into the new season. PSG has maintained a low profile not only in the transfer market but also during pre-season. Unlike in previous years, there was no demanding summer tour to the United States or Asia. Instead, Luis Enrique kept his squad at their training base near Paris.
The team played only two friendly matches, drawing against Austrian champions Sturm Graz and RB Leipzig in Germany. Luis Enrique likely saw little need for more games, given that many of his players returned to training late after participating in Euro 2024, the Copa America, or the Olympics. The goal is to have the team in peak condition by the time the Champions League begins in September, by which time a new attacking option may be added.
