Matvey Safonov is the first recruit that the PSG signed during the market last summer. The Russian goalkeeper was signed to bring competition to Gianluigi Donnarumma. But behind this transfer there appears to be an ulterior reason.
Matvey Safonov at PSG: More than a sporting choice?
It’s a signing that no one saw coming and which surprised more than one. Faced with the inconsistent performances of Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG decided to strengthen the competition while Keylor Navas arrived at the end of the season. The French champion went to unearth Matvey Safonov from Krasnodar for the sum of 15 million euros.
Safonov has signed up for the next five years with the capital club and is trying to shake up the hierarchy. If the capital club justified this choice by the desire to rejuvenate its workforce, journalist Romain Molina revealed another possible reason: political considerations.
According to Molina, the transfer of Matvey Safonov was motivated by interests linked to Qatar. “These are political reasons in Qatar, even if Luis Enrique validated it”he said. This revelation suggests that the Russian's choice would not only be sporting, but also linked to broader issues.
On the pitch, however, Matvey Safonov seems to meet Luis Enrique's expectations. The young 25-year-old Russian goalkeeper takes advantage of the opportunity to show himself and begins to gain playing time. The competition is relaunched in the Parisian cages, to the great pleasure of the Spanish coach.
