The great striker. Since the arrival of QSI at the head of Paris Saint-Germain, the capital club has been able to count on renowned number 9s, like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani. In recent years, it is mainly Kylian Mbappé (25 years old) who has been aligned at the forefront of the Ile-de-France attack, although he has never hidden that he prefers to play on the left wing. Despite this, he more or less did the job, having found the net 44 times in 48 matches in all competitions last season (10 assists).
Obviously, replacing him was not going to be easy. But Luis Enrique seemed confident about it. The Spanish technician has repeatedly said that his team will be even better this season and that it is a collective and not an individuality that would take precedence. Last September, he persisted on this precise point. “If someone scores 40 goals, we won’t close the door to them. If I rely on my experience, it is better that there are four who score 12 goals, because that will make 48 goals and that is better than 40.
Luis Enrique still doesn’t want another No.9
Except that for the moment, the attack of the French champions is not always flamboyant. Luis Enrique relies mainly on his wingers. Brilliant in Ligue 1, Bradley Barcola (7 goals this season, editor’s note) must logically take a step forward in Europe. Ousmane Dembélé has 4 goals. Without his incredible clumsiness, his record would be better. Désiré Doué (0 goals) is struggling. Marco Asensio (2 goals) and Kang-in Lee (4 goals) help out as false number 9. But this solution has its limits. However, Luis Enrique persists, while he has in his ranks Randal Kolo Muani (2 goals), who is best suited to play in this position. A position which is also that of Gonçalo Ramos, injured for several weeks.
His upcoming return could offer new solutions for Lucho, although he didn’t always use it last year. The winter transfer window may also be an option for the Spanish coach. Last summer, when Ramos was injured, Luis Campos offered him several attackers, including Victor Osimhen, recalls The Parisian. But he declined this proposal. This winter, PSG therefore has the opportunity to rectify the situation. But the French media indicates that residents of the Parc des Princes should not recruit for this position during the month of January. A hell of a bet on the part of Luis Enrique, who is convinced that his team will progress. The Parisian adds that this subject of No. 9 is not yet a subject of“internal tension”but this summer’s choices raise questions…
