After yet another disappointing season in the Champions League, Paris Saint Germain look to add some fresh legs to their team, hoping they will come into next season stronger, faster and better. One of the players PSG had their eyes on was Ander Herrera, the 29-year-old Manchester United midfielder, however, the talks fell into the water despite the reported signing of a pre-contract agreement with the club. But what went wrong, and who took the spotlight from Ander Herrera?
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – MARCH 16: Ander Herrera of Manchester United in action during the FA Cup Quarter Final match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at Molineux on March 16, 2019 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
It’s expected to be a very busy summer at Paris Saint Germain, who have made it clear, they will yet again make headlines in transfer news this summer. Transfer reports claimed the French champions had the 29-year old Spanish player Ander Herrera on their radar, with a contract close to being signed, however, they suddenly turned their attention to another player. The player who stole Herrera’s spotlight is no other than ex-United and now Ajax player Daley Blind, who spent four years at Old Trafford (2014-2018).
The reasoning behind the sudden change of interest of the French side is unknown, but there have been speculations PSG are looking for players with experience of playing on the European level. This, while not being recognised as official reason could just as well be the real reason. At the end of the day, PSG main goal for several years now is to finally lift the Champions League title, which always seems to slip away from them.
For the past years, it seems like PSG is one of the strongest competitors to win the Champions League, but somewhere on the way to the finals Paris Saint Germain slips and falls. In the last 9 years, the furthest Paris Saint Germain managed to get to was quarter-finals, which they achieved on 4 consecutive occasions 2012/13 – 2015/16. As for the last 3 years, the French heavyweights could not get past 1/8 finals.
This confuses many football fans around the world. PSG have an exceptional team and seem to get stronger with each passing year. However, when it comes to the Champions League, PSG fails to impress. They have got a good manager and good players, so as it seems they only lack experience, which is why it should not come off as a surprise PSG are looking to sign players with European experience, which is exactly what Daley Blind is. While only bringing one player won’t change much in the grand scheme of things, Daley Blind just might be one piece in PSG Champions League puzzle.
Since PSG dropped their interest in Ander Hererra, they did not only set their eyes on Ajax star but looked further, more specifically into the Premier League which could spell trouble for Everton. Going against what has been said about looking for players with European experience, PSG have reportedly been interested in bringing Idrissa Gueye, the 29-year-old midfielder to their squad, which is as mentioned bad news for Everton, who would want to keep their star player. Will this transfer go through is yet unknown, as no official statements have been made about it yet, but keeping in mind PSG expressed their desire to sign Idrissa Gueye before, Everton are understandably scared of losing their star. At the end of the day, PSG has made a long list of players they are interested in bringing to the squad. Those do not only include Idrissa Gueye and Daley Blind, but also has names like Tanguy N’Dombele, Cristiano Picchi and Cristiano Biraghi on it. Who will end up being their pick is something we can only speculate, but with the money and their name as one of the best clubs, PSG most likely won’t have any issues bringing the player they desire to their team.
