Arriving at Paris Saint-Germain with the status of a great hope in French football and the ambition to establish himself at the highest European level, Lucas Chevalier is experiencing a much more complex trajectory than expected. Eight months after his last official appearance in Parisian colors – a 1-0 victory against Auxerre on January 23 – the 24-year-old goalkeeper is still relegated to the role of MatveĂŻ Safonov’s understudy.
His only recent appearance was a contested half-time during a summer friendly match against Mallorca. A paradoxical situation for a player who, a year earlier, seemed to have a bright future with the French team jersey. Far from the spotlight of the Parc des Princes and the gatherings at Clairefontaine, the former Lille player continues to fall in the French hierarchy.
Away from the Blues since last March, he missed the World Cup and is now observing the emergence of new competition embodied by Guillaume Restes or Jean Butez. For a goalkeeper on the verge of 25, this lack of playing time directly threatens the dynamics of his career. Despite this downgrade, the player’s entourage highlights his resilience and his capacity for daily work at the Poissy Campus.
PSG is not closing the door but…
Appreciated internally for his impeccable behavior and his maturity, Lucas Chevalier went through this shadow phase with introspection. After a summer discussion with Luis Enrique, he chose to stay in Paris to fight. However, his efforts in training were not enough to shake the confidence placed in the Russian goalkeeper by the Parisian staff. The steps taken by the club this summer around the profile of Zion Suzuki are a reminder of management’s caution towards him.
Faced with a blocked horizon, the option of leaving during the winter transfer window is gaining ground. If PSG does not categorically close the door while observing Safonov’s performance, the compelling need to replay regularly pushes the French goalkeeper to reconsider his future. The Parisian club leaves the door open for this purpose. “ It’s too early. We don’t know what might happen in the coming months. », Explains those around the European champions. The coming weeks therefore promise to be decisive: without a rebalancing of the hierarchy between now and January, Lucas Chevalier’s Parisian adventure could take the form of a loan or a transfer to restart his progress.
