An indisputable starter at Paris Saint-Germain, Achraf Hakimi is coming off a simply exceptional 2024/2025 season both collectively and individually (11 goals, 16 assists in 55 matches). XXL performances which placed the Moroccan full-back among the favorites for the Ballon d'Or. A major asset for Luis Enrique who, however, chose not to recruit a replacement to give his player a break. The Spaniard prefers to reposition Warren Zaire-Emery or Senny Mayulu rather than recruiting a real specialist in the position. And here's why.
“I don't think anything has changed about Hakimi's status over the last two years. He is one of the leaders in the locker room and his teammates chose him as second captain, which indicates his level in the team. He's a different player who has a lot of offensive and defensive qualities, he plays almost every match, he plays 100%, it's a guarantee, I'm very happy to have him in the team. He is undoubtedly the best right-back in the world for me. (…) That’s why we don’t sign another right-back. He almost always plays and when he doesn't play, we have other options. You have to pay a lot of money to bring in a right-back who is going to be a substitute, who is going to play three games and be demotivated.”he declared at a press conference.
