5 biggest flops in PSG history

#3 Sergei Semak

Semak performed way below expectations at PSG

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.

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#2 Grzegorz Krychowiak

Krychowiak failed to cement his spot in the team

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.

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#1 Jese Rodriguez

Jese did not fulfill his potential in France and now plays for Las Palmas in La Lig 2

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.