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Paris Saint Germain (PSG) are one of the elite teams in world football. The club is famous for investing millions in the transfer market to build a prized team in Paris. However, they are yet to conquer the Champions League and it seems PSG are now moving away from that approach ahead of the new season.
One of the first steps to becoming a serious club is to sell players that are surplus to requirements. Eurosport recently released a list of players that the club will not be taking on their tour of Japan and wish to sell this summer. Mentioned below are five players that could potentially find suitors.
#1 Mauro Icardi - PSG's surplus striker
Mauro Icardi was bought by PSG in 2020 from Inter Milan for €70 million. The 29-year-old Argentinian striker has endured an inconsistent spell in Paris. At Inter, Icardi was the first-choice striker and the club captain.
Fans adored the player, but he was enticed by the riches on offer in Paris and decided to leave Milan. Last season, Icardi made 24 appearances for PSG, scoring four goals.
Icardi is a top striker and has two years left on his contract. A loan with an option to buy would be a possible way out for the striker. His agent and wife, Wanda Nara, are controversial to say the least, and discipline has been a concerning issue for the striker.
#2 Julian Draxler - The forgotten talent
When Julian Draxler moved to PSG in January 2017, he was a highly rated left-winger in European football. Now 28 years old, he has failed to find consistency in Paris, and the club have reportedly put him up for sale. Last season, he only made 18 appearances for the club, scoring two goals and providing one assist. It doesn't help that the player in front of him in the pecking order is Kylian Mbappé.
Draxler is versatile, and the German has made 198 appearances for PSG, scoring 26 goals and providing 41 assists. There has been interest from Italy, particularly the Milanese teams, and Draxler has enough talent to be considered by Premier League clubs as well.
#3 Ander Herrera - A hard working midfielder
Ander Herrera signed for PSG from Manchester United in 2019 and has made 95 appearances for the club, scoring six goals and providing six assists. Herrera is a combative central midfielder, but at 32, he is in his final years of his career. His age makes it harder for Herrera to move to a top team in Europe.
Herrera could move to the United States or a mid-table team in Spain like David Silva. He still has the quality to play in the top five European leagues and would bring experience to any midfield. Along with Mauro Icardi, he is one of the better players available on sale but will have to convince clubs to bid for him.
#4 Georginio Wijnaldum - The midfield engine
Georginio Wijnaldum signed for PSG from Liverpool last summer. He made 31 appearances for the club last season. Wijnaldum is a central midfielder and enjoyed great success at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp before switching to Paris. Mauricio Pochettino used him frequently, but it seems he is not in Christophe Galtier's plans.
Unlike some of the other players on the list, Wijnaldum has garnered interest from other clubs. According to the Liverpool Echo, a return to Liverpool is an option. According to another article from the Liverpool Echo, Everton have also declared an interest in the Dutch midfielder.
Liverpool is a familiar city for Wijnaldum, but joining Everton might ruin his Reds legacy. A return to PSV Eindhoven could also be an option.
#5 Idrissa Gueye - Defensive midfielder
Idrissa Gueye signed for PSG in 2019, and unlike the other players on this list, he only has one year left on his contract. Gueye made 26 appearances for PSG last season, operating in central and defensive midfield positions. According to Foot Mercato, Turkish club Galatasaray are interested in the player and are in talks with PSG over a transfer.
At 32, Gueye is certainly not at the peak of his career. Istanbul would be the perfect swan song for a player who showed his quality in the Premier League and the Champions League. Galatasaray is a competitive club looking to return to the top in Turkey after failing to win the league for a few years.
