“Paris Saint-Germain is delighted to welcome Gonçalo Ramos. The 22-year-old Portuguese striker is on loan, with option to buy, until the end of the season.. Delighted yes but for how long? This is the question that everyone could be asking themselves at the start of 2024. On August 7, 2023, the capital club made its seventh summer recruit official with great fanfare: the Portuguese Seleção international left Benfica to join the PSG in exchange for a huge envelope of 80 million euros. A few months later, Gonçalo Ramos is hardly used at all by Luis Enrique, despite three goals scored including a double against OM and an assist delivered against Strasbourg in 13 appearances in all competitions. The former Lisbon player’s last start with Paris dates back to November 24 against Monaco. A meeting won by Paris (5-2) with a goal from Ramos.
“I am happy and above all very happy for the collective, we are now ready to face Newcastle next Tuesday. The plan was as usual, get the ball, keep it and it worked well. With Randal Kolo Muani, it’s healthy competition, we get along very well”, explained the Portuguese striker, after this great victory against AS Monaco. Everything seemed to be going in the best of all possible worlds for Gonçalo Ramos, especially since his performances were rather regular and solid compared to those of Randal Kolo Muani, also recruited this summer in Frankfurt in exchange for a large envelope. But if RKM has this luxurious chance to benefit from numerous second chances offered by Luis Enrique, Gonçalo Ramos must fight in the shadows, silently and discreetly, without sparking, even though he has been missing for more than a month now… It’s impossible to understand anything.
6 minutes played since November 25…
This is the sad reality that Gonçalo Ramos lives at Paris Saint-Germain. Let’s take a look at the latest matches played by Luis Enrique’s troops. On Wednesday against Toulouse, the Portuguese striker did not start and did not even come into play. Before the Christmas holidays, the Parisians dominated FC Metz in Ligue 1 (3-1) and the former scorer Benfica was able, anecdotally, to set foot on the pitch for just a minute, replacing Lee Kang-in in the 90th + 2 minute on December 20. A little earlier in the week, against Borussia Dortmund (1-1) in the Champions League on December 13 then against LOSC in the championship (1-1) on December 17, Ramos was not even present in the summoned group by the Spanish coach, due to a flu contracted by the Portuguese, a few days before taking the plane to go to the Ruhr region. But this analysis is unfortunately hardly finished for the native of Olhão.
On December 9, PSG hosted FC Nantes at the Parc des Princes. If the Parisians managed to snatch a victory (2-1), Gonçalo Ramos was not able to participate in the party since he did not start, he did not, once again, even enter the game. Same story in Normandy, during PSG’s trip to Le Havre (0-2) on December 3, Ramos was not even able to stretch his legs for a single second. A few days before, the Parisians welcomed Newcastle to their home in the Champions League (1-1). A bitter encounter for PSG, just like the 22-year-old Portuguese, who was graciously offered 5 anecdotal minutes at the end of the match, replacing his compatriot Danilo Pereira, on November 28. This brings the total to six minutes since this date. But why does Gonçalo Ramos constantly stay at the dock? The repositioning of Kylian Mbappé at the forefront, in a number 9 role, seems to be the main explanation. But she doesn’t say why he has to settle for tiny crumbs. In any case, if it continues at this speed, he could well miss Euro 2024, next summer, with Portugal…
