PSG's five doubts after their latest failure in Europe
PSG's debacle in Germany against Bayern has once again uncovered the thunderbox in France. The team with the most stars on planet football has once again fallen in the Champions League, in the last 16, for yet another season and after spending more than a billion euros.
Ahead of Mbappé's future is that of Messi. The world champion finishes his contract next summer and everything seemed to indicate that he would renew for another season. The Qatari money would have to assess whether to continue paying those almost €50 million clean ones for a player who sells shirts like no other, but who has not helped to make the leap in quality in Europe.
Messi was a goner against Bayern. He did not find partners to weave moves, nor was he able to try long-range shots. He was only seen holding his hands to his head in Verratti's mistake that gave the Germans the first goal.
His future is closer and closer to Miami. He has a home and business there. Beckham's franchise is waiting for him to play in the MLS and give prestige to the North American competition for, at most, 8 million euros as Designated Player, that is to say, the best paid.
The Frenchman said after the match against Bayern Munich that he is only thinking about winning the league and then we'll see. Those words have opened a terrible rift at the club and even in French society, which cannot stand the siren calls from other teams to acquire his services.
The front pages of the Spanish press are warning Mbappé that if he wants to be a great player he must play for a great team like Real Madrid and not an artificial one made out of oil money.
But the French international is the jewel in PSG's crown and the reason to stay among the big boys. In his day he turned down Real Madrid's 200 million euros and now he will have to decide whether to let him go or rebuild his project with him as a star.
The money that has showered PSG over the last few years has come from Qatar. The Emirate set its sights on the French capital to build a winning project and win the World Cup.
Of the former, there is no news, the latter has already happened and that leads to expand the business. All eyes are on Manchester where United needs new investments to revive the business.
Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani has made an offer to the Glazers for 100% of the club to "return it to its former glory". This casts doubt on whether there is confidence in continuing with the French side in a league with less relevance than England's.
The Sevillian is another problem for the French team. Just like players like Marquinhos, Bernat, Danilo, Verratti or Neymar who are around or over 30 years old and have very high wage bills and have not given the team the position they deserve in Europe.
Ramos is at the end of his contract and it doesn't look like he's going to renew. The other big problem is Neymar, with more than a year of accumulated absences, who has also failed to perform in important matches.
Galtier's PSG could opt for a more economical model of a team that values Mbappé and surrounds him with youngsters like those who finished the game against Bayern.
The forwards IIlyes, Ekitike; in midfield Warren, Vitinha, Soler, another Spaniard like Gharbi and in defence Timothee, Nordi, Mendes, El Chadaille, Kimpembe or Achraf whose future is, at the moment, very uncertain, along with Donnarumma in goal.
PSG find it difficult to go to the market for big names. The sanctions against Juventus, the financial problems that City could have and Barça's situation mean that the French side are taking a break from their quest to become European champions on a shoestring.