It was a ropey start to the season for Paris Saint-Germain. A long summer ended with a dozen new signings, and the departures of both Lionel Messi and Neymar. Everything seemed rushed and sort of thrown together. But now things have settled, a team has emerged.
And although they aren’t top of Ligue 1, the Parisians are finding form. They should, at this point, easily advance to the Champions League knockout stages, and should be considered favourites to kick on domestically.
That said, there are some pwho are pulling their weight more than others for Luis Enrique’s side, and so GOAL has rated every PSG player’s performance so far this season to figure out who should be the frontrunners for the club’s Player of the Season award…
Cher Ndour
Perhaps the least heralded of PSG’s summer incomings, teenager Ndour has played sparingly so this season, and it remains puzzling that he didn’t leave on loan. Perhaps he will be given further opportunities if there is an injury crisis, or if PSG get a kind Coupe de France draw.
Hugo Ekitike
Perhaps the biggest victim of Mbappe’s decision to stay in Paris, Ekitike hasn’t been involved in a game since the opening day of the campaign. It’s difficult to see that changing, especially given the depth PSG have brought in up front.
Nordi Mukiele
Mukiele has made a handful of appearances as he works his way back from a long-term muscle injury. The versatile defender might struggle for minutes, though, with Achraf Hakimi ahead of him in the pecking order.
Carlos Soler
Soler has been regularly called upon by Luis Enrique off the bench — if only because the Parisians lack depth in central midfield. He’s failed to offer much in a series of underwhelming cameos, and probably will see his minutes shrink as the rest of the squad returns to full fitness.
Ousmane Dembele
One of the Parisians’ big-money signings this summer, Dembele has endured a mixed start to life in the French capital. He has certainly developed an understanding with Kylian Mbappe and, in glimpses, Marco Asensio.
However, the winger has been a bit erratic in the final third, his lack of composure in key areas costing PSG in their loss to Newcastle, in particular.
Goncalo Ramos
Playing time will be hard to come by in the PSG front line, and so far, Ramos hasn’t quite shown enough to be worthy of it every week. He bagged two against Marseille, — a handy show of what he might be able to do in Paris — but he hasn’t scored in four games since.
Fabian Ruiz
There was an assumption that a Spanish manager might get the best out of the Spain midfielder whose PSG career is yet to take off. But so far, it’s been more of the same. Fabian has been reliable without standing out, and will find himself firmly behind Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery — barring an injury or unexpected slump in form.
Danilo Pereira
Danilo has lost his starting spot this year, thanks to the arrivals of Manuel Ugarte and Milan Skriniar. But, as he has shown, he can still be a reliable back-up either in defensive midfield or at centre-back. Consider him a handy reserve, and not much more.
Bradley Barcola
Barcola was a puzzling signing when the Parisians bought him from Lyon at the end of the transfer window. PSG, after all, had depth in the wide areas, and didn’t really need another attacking player. Still, he has turned in a couple of promising performances. If he keeps them up, Dembele could find his starting spot in danger.
Lee Kang-in
Among the more surprising signings of PSG’s turbulent summer, the attacking midfielder has impressed with his energy and quality on the ball — but has yet to show the creative chops that made him a star for Mallorca last season. A couple of promising showings on the right suggest that he could be in line for more minutes, though.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Luis Enrique has tried to turn Donnarumma into more of a ball-playing goalkeeper, and the results have been mixed. The Italian shot-stopper doesn’t always look entirely comfortable playing out of the back, but for every mistake, there’s an equally good save. He will need to cut down on the errors, though.
Randal Kolo Muani
Kolo Muani hit the ground running, scoring one and assisting two in his first 117 minutes at the club Since then, though, his progress has slowed, with Luis Enrique confining him to the bench for three straight games. He will need to get back among the goals if he is to stay in the XI.
Lucas Hernandez
Hernandez is certainly improving. Though clearly talented, his arrival didn’t make loads of sense when he was brought in from Bayern Munich, as here was an injury-prone defender without a clear best position. That said, Hernandez has grown into the PSG side, and is forming a solid understanding with Mbappe.
Milan Skriniar
PSG certainly needed help at the back in the summer. The natural solution, then, was to get the best free-agent central defender available, and it’s certainly been a successful investment so far. Skriniar is still a bit rusty — he missed a good chunk of the 2022-23 season through injury — but has certainly served as an upgrade on the rotating cast of defenders employed by the Parisians last term.
Marco Asensio
Not for the first time, Luis Enrique has been adamant in his deployment of Asensio as a centre-forward. And, after numerous failures for the Spanish national team, it has worked this time. Asensio enjoyed a solid start through the middle, and, once he returns from injury, seems certain to contribute again.
Marquinhos
Marquinhos was one of a handful of PSG players who managed to find some consistency in an otherwise turbulent 2022-23 campaign. And now, he seems to be nearing his best, bossing the backline and offering valuable positional versatility, too. A mistake or two has marred his overall performance level, but he is an important leader and top-class defender.
Manuel Ugarte
Ugarte, it seemed, would need time to settle in at PSG. After all, here was an aggressive midfielder who thrived as a ball-winner, asked to play in a possession-based team. Those fears have been rendered moot by a string of solid showings, the Uruguayan sliding seamlessly into Luis Enrique’s side. His fit in a two-man midfield can be questioned, though.
Vitinha
Vitinha has improved immensely after a hugely disappointing first season in Paris. The midfielder is far calmer on the ball, and more impactful going forward than his 2022-23 self. A new manager, it seems, has worked wonders for his confidence. Now it’s a question of retaining that form throughout the campaign.
Achraf Hakimi
Hakimi endured a tricky start to the season. He had some difficulty adjusting to a more natural right-back position, and looked really uncomfortable when asked to invert and function as an extra midfielder. But he has learned quickly, while also chipping in with a few goals. World-class, on his day.
Kylian Mbappe
Things aren’t perfect with Mbappe, but they’re close. A short scoreless streak added a blemish to his early season form, but he has since recovered, scoring three in his next two. There will be a lot of noise in the weeks and months to come — especially given likely future destination Real Madrid’s attacking inconsistencies. While he’s in Paris, though, PSG can beat anyone.
Warren Zaire-Emery
Zaire-Emery was handed a chance in the first team last season to ultimately mixed results. Although he impressed for spells, former boss Christophe Galtier regularly stuck him out on the wing. Now, playing in his more natural central position, Zaire-Emery has thrived. An all-action option in midfield, the 17-year-old has made PSG tick, and become one of the best in Europe at his position.
