Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) new coach Luis Enrique, 53, has more power at the club than you might think, and it’s going to be a tough life at PSG without him.
“Before joining PSG, Enrique demanded that the club guarantee him full control of the squad, and an agreement was reached,” the Daily Mail reported on July 13.
Enrique’s reason for asking for this was to prevent his position from being inadvertently diminished by some big signings in the transfer market, which would have significantly shaken up the team, the publication explained.
Having received the ‘OK’ from the club, Enrique took over the reins of PSG on May 5, signing a two-year contract.
During negotiations with the club before the final signing, Enrique was aware that Lionel Messi, who was torn between staying and leaving, could leave PSG, and that Neymar’s future was unclear.
After taking stock of the club’s situation, Enrique decided to stay with PSG for two seasons, giving him the ability to shape the squad as he sees fit by signing and releasing players in the transfer market.
According to the Daily Mail, Enrique has included Kylian Mbappe in his squad for next season. Mbappe, who has one year left on his PSG contract (with a one-year option to extend), has yet to make a decision on staying or leaving. The club is keen to re-sign him 토토사이트 by triggering his one-year extension option, but Mbappe is relaxed.
Some have claimed that Mbappe is thinking of playing out his one-year contract and then moving to Real Madrid next summer without incurring a transfer fee. This wouldn’t be in PSG’s best interest at all. They would be giving away a world-class striker to a European rival for free.
As a result, PSG are now pressuring Mbappe to make a decision about his future as soon as possible. The calculation is that if he doesn’t re-sign, they’ll sell him to a team with a high transfer fee in the summer.
The Mbappe situation aside, the control the PSG hierarchy has given Enrique over the squad is significant. He has a major say in player recruitment and is completely untouchable in terms of controlling the squad. With that clear, Enrique chose to stay at PSG.
That control will be felt even more by the players who wear the PSG shirt this summer. First of all, the players who came to PSG in the summer transfer window were the ones who caught Enrique’s eye in the first place. Many French media outlets, including Le Parisien, have already reported that Enrique was vocal about his recruitment prior to his official appointment.
As soon as the announcement of Enrique’s appointment was made, PSG began to announce player signings as if they had been waiting for it. This includes Lee Kang-in, who donned a PSG jersey on September 9. It’s a sign that he’s been given the green light by Enrique, and if he can improve on the form he showed with Mallorca in the 2022-2023 season, he’ll be in a position to win the job.
But on the flip side, it also means that once you’ve fallen out with Enrique, it’s hard to get another chance with a man who has so much control over his squad. He’s here because he wants to be, and he can always get rid of him if he doesn’t.
For now, Lee is off to a good start. On December 12, PSG released a video on the club’s official website titled “Enrique’s first training session with PSG,” in which Lee appears to be adjusting to life at PSG without much difficulty as he trains outdoors next to Enrique.
First of all, there is no ‘language barrier’ for Lee, who is fluent in Spanish. He can communicate with Enrique without a translator. He understands tactical instructions immediately.
With PSG looking to rebuild their squad with young talent, it’s only a matter of time before Lee’s skills will win over Enrique. “All that’s left for him is to prove himself at the highest level,” PSG said when announcing his arrival.
‘Master’ Enrique led Barcelona for three years, starting with the 2014-2015 season. He won two Spanish La Liga titles and one UEFA Champions League (UCL) title.
In his first season in charge of Barcelona, he pulled off a triple, winning La Liga, the UCL, and the Copa del Rey.
Enrique also coached the Spanish national team from 2018 to 2022. However, it was not without success. At the World Cup in Qatar, they lost to Morocco in the round of 16. He was subsequently relieved of his duties with the national team.
With such a colorful past, the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham wanted him, but Enrique turned them down after negotiations and opted to join PSG.
Lee is eager to start over at PSG. “I can play in different positions,” he said in his signing interview on September 9, “I am a midfielder who can play on both wings. I’m good on the ball and have a lot of desire and thirst to win. I want to use my full strength to help the team win.”
“I’ve known PSG since I was very young. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world and there are great players here. I’m looking forward to a new start. I want to be able to bring joy to the fans.”