5 players who did not deserve to play for PSG

Choupo-Moting inexplicably partnered Neymar and Mbappe
Choupo-Moting inexplicably partnered Neymar and Mbappe

#3 Benjamin Stambouli

Stambouli recently joined the Turkish league
Stambouli recently joined the Turkish league

PSG's decision to sign Benjamin Steambouli from Tottenham, despite having the likes of Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta and Blaise Matuidi, raised many eyebrows. While such a transfer would've made perfectly understandable in their pre-takeover days, PSG's acquisition of the Frenchman made zero sense in 2015.

A relatively unknown quantity, Stambouli turned out to be as lackluster as expected by the fans. The defensive midfielder failed to dislodge anyone in a dominant PSG midfield, mostly starting in cup games for his new club.

Following 40 sub-par performances that reaped a single assist, Stambouli was offloaded to Schalke in 2016. Having never represented his country on the international stage, the PSG reject now plays for Turkish outfit Adana Demirspor at the age of 31.


#2 Jese

Jese was supposed to be the next big thing
Jese was supposed to be the next big thing

In 2016, PSG decided to take a punt on Real Madrid prodigy Jese Rodriguez, signing him for a sizeable fee of €25 million. Despite not having achieved anything substantial in his career by that time, the Spaniard was still a highly-rated prospect. Back then, the Parisians must've thought that they had bagged themselves a certified future superstar.

However, Real Madrid were the only winning party in that deal, acquiring €25 million for a player like Jese. The youngster lacked the commitment one needs to succeed at the highest level of football. Injuries and disciplinary issues plagued his PSG career, with Jese making just 18 appearances with the club.

In his four-year stint with PSG, the erratic forward spent the majority of his time out on loan, signing temporary deals with as many as four clubs. Tired of his off-field antics, PSG finally decided to terminate his contract in 2020, amidst a controversial scandal. At 28, Jese is now slumming it out with Las Palmas in the second tier of Spanish football.


#1 Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

Choupo-Moting plays second fiddle to Lewandowski at Bayern
Choupo-Moting plays second fiddle to Lewandowski at Bayern

If anyone truly deserves a hike in this pandemic-affected footballing world, it is the agent of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting who consistently brings lucrative deals to his client. The Cameroon international has played for both PSG and Bayern Munich in the past three years despite his middling abilities.

Contracted with Bavarians at the time of writing, Choupo-Moting was plying his trade at the Parc des Princes before making a switch to Germany. Similar to his position at Bayern, the 32-year-old forward was nothing more than a backup option for PSG during his two-season spell in France.

In that duration, Choupo-Moting managed to amass 51 appearances, only scoring a meager nine goals along the way. He infamously stopped the ball from crossing the goal-line after a brilliant effort from Christopher Nkunku in 2019, becoming a laughing stock across the continent.

Like Martin Braithwaite at Barcelona, Choupo-Moting was never meant to play for a team like PSG. Nevertheless, as fate rarely agrees with talent, the former Stoke City striker is on track to win the fourth league title of his career.


Also read: 5 players PSG should sell in 2022

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Edited by Nived Zenith
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