Paris Saint-Germain are reigning two-time European champions. And their quest for a third Champions League is underway.
Only four teams have won the European Cup/Champions League in three successive seasons, with Real Madrid the last to do so between 2015/16 and 2017/18. Real Madrid were also the first team to win three in a row, claiming each of the first five European Cups between 1955/56 and 1959/60. They were later joined by Ajax (1970/71 to 1972/73) and Bayern Munich (1973/74 to 1975/76).
PSG had to wait a long time for their first Champions League success, which finally came with a 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in 2024/25. A year later, they ended Arsenal‘s hopes of a first Champions League trophy, beating the Gunners on penalties.
Now all sights will be set on lifting the trophy again at the Wanda Metropolitano in Spain next May. And PSG find themselves in an interesting situation.
In this article, we’ll cover
A strong foundation
PSG find themselves in the enviable position of having a squad already filled with players who know how to win. Their best XI is pretty much settled, and they play in a domestic league where their backups are good enough to get the job done when needed.
But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t always be looking to add to their squad. And it doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of improvements.
PSG were missing an out-and-out goalscorer in Ligue 1 last season. Bradley Barcola scored more than any other PSG player, but he only netted 11 goals in 29 games. Seven players managed more than him across the league, and he was 10 goals behind top scorer Esteban Lepaul. Ousmane Dembele joined Barcola on double figures, with 10 goals in 22 games, while Khivcha Kvaratskhelia (eight), Desire Doue (seven) and Goncalo Ramos (six) were the others to manage at least five.
It was a slightly different story in the Champions League. Kvaratskhelia and Dembele were both in the top 10 for goals as PSG lifted the trophy, scoring 10 and eight respectively. Only Kylian Mbappe (15) and Harry Kane (14) scored more goals than Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian also finished joint-top for his six assists, while Dembele ranked third for seven assists in Ligue 1.
Incoming requirements
Despite their lack of runaway goalscorer, PSG haven’t had significant links to a striker this summer. Ferran Torres has been linked, but he would likely join a rotating attacking as opposed to being a certainty to lead the line.
Bolstering the supply
Instead, PSG are being linked with moves to add to their attacking supply line. According to reports, the European champions are in talks with Ajax for the signing of Mika Godts.
Godts was one of the brightest players in the Eredivisie last season, regardless of age. The fact that he’s only 21 only makes his campaign even more impressive. Godts was directly involved in 30 goals in the Eredivisie last season, scoring 17 and providing 13 assists. Only Ayase Ueda managed more goals than Godts, while Joey Veerman was the only man to provide more assists. And Godts did those numbers from the wing.
As a winger, Godts has the old-school mentality of taking his man on when receiving the ball. He ranked second in the Eredivisie for his 2.7 completed take-ons per 90, while no one bettered his 6.0 attempts. Godts isn’t just a direct winger, though. He has the ability to open up space for others to run into due to the attention opponents have to give him. Another player like that in PSG’s ranks would spell trouble for other teams.
Competition in goal
The other main link for PSG right now is Zion Suzuki. The 23-year-old has grown in stature over the past year and was heralded for performances at the World Cup with Japan. And he could be on the move to provide competition for Matvey Safonov.
Safonov did well as a replacement for Gianluigi Donnarumma last season but did still have his critics. When comparing to Suzuki’s numbers with Parma in Serie A, the pair would combine well to give PSG two solid options. Suzuki was the busier goalkeeper, averaging 3.3 saves per 90 to Safonov’s 2.8. But the Russian saved 74.55% of the shots on target he faced, while Suzuki’s save percentage was 70.21%.
It was a similar story for passing. While Suzuki averaged more passes completed per 90, Safonov was the more accuracy. That’s both for passes in general, and long passes. Safonov did also have better statistics for clean sheets and goals conceded, although the level of team he was playing in would have helped. Suzuki may still be signed with a view to being No.1, but it’s not an obvious decision based on the stats. And that’s a good problem for Luis Enrique to have.
PSG trimming the fat
While the only signing to date has been teenage goalkeeper Alessandro Longoni, PSG have made some significant outgoings. They have recouped over £125million for the sales of Goncalo Ramos, Lee Kang-in and Randal Kolo Muani, who couldn’t break into the fixed attacking setup.
They are significant moves. As mentioned, Ramos was one of the PSG players to score at least five goals in the league last season. He ranked third among PSG players for shots in Ligue 1 with 58, as well as for his 25 efforts on target. That’s despite only playing 1,309 minutes (47.78% of the available time).
Lee, meanwhile, was directly involved in seven goals across 1,522 league minutes, scoring three and providing four assists. Only Nuno Mendes (five) and Vitinha an Dembele (both seven) provided more assists for PSG in the league. He was their most-creative player, though, creating 58 chances including 12 big chances. That would be where Godts comes in as a replacement.
Kolo Muani may be the only player that won’t make too much of a dent in PSG. He didn’t actually play for the club last season, spending the year on loan with Tottenham Hotspur. And he was on loan at Juventus before that — whom he has now joined permanent. When he was a part of PSG’s squad, Kolo Muani failed to really impress with the minutes he was given. It’s a good move for all parties that this particular relationship has been brought to an end.
Pruning a squad that has helped you win back-to-back Champions Leagues can seem like a bold decision. But the outgoings have only allowed PSG more room to make key transfers in their quest for number three.