The market for players free from any contract has become a real trend for several seasons. PSG happily took advantage of this by signing Sergio Ramos, Gigi Donnarumma and even Lionel Messi. But other signings have been real failures. Here are three.
1/ Hatem Ben Arfa (2016)
Considered one of the greatest talents in the history of French football, Hatem Ben Arfa took a long time to emerge in the eyes of the world. After disappointing at OM then at Newcastle, he attempted a return to France with Nice. A dream season which opened the doors to PSG for him in 2016. But the marriage will never work between a demanding club and too inconsistent a talent. Two years after his arrival, Ben Arfa separated painfully from Paris for one of the big flops of Parisian recruitment.
2/ Georginio Wijnaldum (2021)
Under the orders of Jurgen Klopp, he has long been a metronome and an indispensable soldier for Liverpool. At the end of the contract, Wijnaldum took the opportunity to negotiate the contract of his life with Paris. In 2021, the Dutchman arrives for zero euros, thus offering an experience profile and real bench depth in Paris. But at PSG, Georginio Wijnaldum will be ghostly from start to finish.
3/ Milan Škriniar (2023)
After attempting a transfer in the summer of 2022, PSG did not let go of Milan Škriniar for a year and managed to get him back, free of any contract, in the summer of 2023. Experience, rigor and state of mind : the Slovak ticks all the boxes! But like his first Parisian season, marked by injuries and sluggish matches, Milan Škriniar disappoints month after month. To the point of seeing PSG want to part with it. Very close to the goal last summer, Paris should try to exfiltrate it again this winter…
