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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is one of the most well-off clubs in Europe. Playing in the French top-flight may not be the most attractive proposition but when PSG come calling, it is too great a lure to be refused. They can and have in the past matched the financial expectations of clubs and players alike in a bid to strengthen themselves.
So even though the chances of European silverware are not the highest, they have the cash to keep hold of some of the best talent. So it's no surprise that Parisians, on multiple occasions, have put pen to paper on the deal of their desired targets.
Especially after their owners QSI arrived, it has been a case of more hits than misses in terms of acquiring their preferred players in the transfer window.
Many players failed to live up to the billing in a PSG shirt
But when a player arrives at the club, the onus is on him to prove his worth and justify their salary. Some go directly into the starting lineup and make the team strong from day one, while others have to work harder off the pitch on the training ground to become regulars.
Either way, whether you succeed or fail is mostly down to you, your attitude and if you can fight with the best players and constantly prove your worth. At PSG, many such arrivals who were anticipated signings fell short of fulfilling expectations by a fair margin.
It's not difficult to guess that there are bitter feelings between both parties. On that note, here are the five biggest flops in Paris Saint-Germain history.
#5 Hatem Ben Arfa
One point of view towards the signing of Hatem Ben Arfa is that he wasn't as much of a flop as he was a mistake. When you realize he came as a free agent from Ligue 1 rivals OGC Nice, that mistake looks like one to forgive. But the drop in form was real given the standards he set for himself at his former club.
The Frenchman joined PSG on the back of a successful season in the French top-flight, having scored 17 times in 34 games. As a PSG player, he could only manage two assists in 23 appearances in Ligue 1. Ben Arfa scored thrice in the Coupe de France, but two of those goals came against lower league side US Avranches.
He became annoyed after not starting games regularly and rather than proving his strong character by challenging for a starting spot, his attitude became a problem for Unai Emery. Ben Arfa also criticized the PSG boss publicly and as a result spent the entire 2017-18 campaign without playing a single game for the club.
The flop striker even sued the French giants and dragged them to the court due to the lack of football.
#4 Diego Lugano
Before big names like Thiago Silva and Marquinhos became linchpins for PSG, Diego Lugano was the bigshot South American that arrived at the club. He captained Uruguay to a fourth-place finish at the 2010 World Cup and was expected to add his leadership and experience to the French club.
The centre-back was in his 30s and hence PSG were able to sign him for as little as €3 million. But, in the Turkish league and for the national side, he continued to show his ability and dominated in the backline. However, Lugano had a rather underwhelming stay at PSG.
He looked way off pace in Ligue 1 and one of his major assets was his aerial prowess, but he struggled to dominate in aerial duels as well. On top of that, he became injury-prone and spent significant time on the treatment table.
The French giants were aware that these signs would start emerging at some point, given that the age would catch up with the Uruguayan. But they didn't think it would happen so soon. He made 21 appearances for the club in all competitions in his solitary season (2011-12) with the French giants.
#3 Sergei Semak
There are enough examples in football where one player has given a blistering performance against a team and they have returned to sign him. Sergui Semak is one of the prime examples of such a signing. In the 2004 UEFA Champions League group stages, over the course of two ties, Semak destroyed PSG.
In the home affair, his goal and an assist led to CSKA Moscow winning the game 2-0 against the Ligue 1 outfit. In the reverse fixture, the Russian midfielder was in an even richer vein of form and ran the show at PSG's home. He delivered a captain's performance and took the match ball home thanks to his brilliant hat-trick.
Semak was a very versatile player and played in multiple positions but was most effective as an attacking midfielder or a second striker. The French giants secured his signature for a cheap €2.5 million in January 2005. However, after exactly one year with the Parisians, he was offloaded to Russia again.
In 31 appearances, the Russian only managed to score one goal. His prolific nature, his knack for creating chances and applying the finishing touch was nowhere to be seen and PSG did not fancy him anymore. How the French giants wished he would show the same quality in their outfit that he displayed against them. But the big performance never came.
#2 Grzegorz Krychowiak
Thiago Motta was one of the pillars of the PSG team and he was a guaranteed starter in midfield. However, he was on the wrong side of the 30s and the club had to look for a successor. That is when they brought in Grzegorz Krychowiak (never mind the pronunciation) from Sevilla.
The player was quite impressive in his two seasons with the Spanish side, having proven himself to be an effective defensive shield playing in front of the rearguard. Before joining Sevilla in 2014, Krychowiak had been playing in Ligue 1 since 2008. He was already familiar with the league as well and hence looked like a suitable and sensible option.
The French giants paid €30 mllion to get the deal done and never truly got the value they expected for it. The Polish midfielder was never a great passer of the ball, it was the defensive work he did without the possession that made him useful.
In France, however, his numbers in terms of interceptions, clearances and tackles fell drastically. His average ability with the ball at his feet and inaccurate distribution in passing were all exposed and the fans were having none of it.
He also fell out with manager Unai Emery, with whom he had previously worked at Sevilla as well. After the 2016-17 season with PSG, where he made 20 appearances in all competitions, he was sent on loan to West Brom and later was permanently sold to Locomotiv Moscow.
#1 Jese Rodriguez
Jese Rodriguez was one of the more promising talents at Real Madrid, but his career has gone downhill since he joined PSG to make a name for himself. The French giants paid a decent €25 million to avail his services but that turned out to be an absolute waste.
Considering the player was moving to a league considered less competitive than La Liga and playing for the best team in France, his numbers were disappointing to put it gently. Two goals in 13 appearances in the 2016-17 season were not the figures PSG signed the winger for.
Moreover, he was inconsistent with his performances and his lack of fitness made him a fringe player. There were issues with the Apendix problem, which required surgery and saw Jese spend considerable time out of the squad. However, the player never looked like restoring his form.
Ultimately, the player and the club terminated the contract by mutual agreement in December 2020, after the Spaniard had been on multiple loans. The former PSG forward is known for producing a Reggaeton music video rather than a couple of goals he scored.
