Illya Zabarnyi has had a mixed start at Paris Saint-Germain. Recruited for 66 million euros to take over from Marquinhos, the Ukrainian central defender is still struggling to gain unanimous support in the capital.
His performance during the victory against Olympique Lyonnais (3-2), Sunday in Ligue 1, did not escape criticism.
Walid Acherchour, unconvinced by his performance, pointed out his difficulties in adapting.
A potential to be exploited
Yet some continue to believe in its potential. Former French defender Jean-Luc Arribart remains convinced that Zabarnyi has all the qualities to establish himself permanently at PSG, as he had already shown at Bournemouth.
“There are players who take longer to reveal their potential and their qualities in a new club. I continue to say that Zabarnyi is a defender at heart, solid, very tough in duels, who does not panic and reliable in the aerial game. I maintain that he is in the same vein as very good defenders like Ibrahima Konaté. (…) I remain convinced that he can reproduce what I saw him do at Bournemouth. He’s a good defender, even more so in a dominant team like PSG.”estimated the consultant for The Parisian.
