Ranking PSG's 2014 Transfer Window Signings on Last Season's Efforts

2014 was a relatively difficult year for Paris Saint-Germain in financial terms because of the introduction of UEFA's financial fair play restrictions.

While the French champions were able to spend freely in the January window, by the time the summer one arrived, their hands were tied by the sanctions handed to them.

Because of this, PSG made just three transfer signings last year, which didn't compare well with the high numbers of lavishly priced arrivals in the three years following Qatar Sports Investments’ arrival in Paris back in 2011.

The moves made by Les Parisiens in 2014 included the signings of France international midfielder Yohan Cabaye from Newcastle United, Ivory Coast’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations-winning right-back Serge Aurier and Brazilian star David Luiz from Chelsea.

All three have experienced mixed results in their time at Parc des Princes so far, and here they are ranked based on last season’s efforts.

3. Yohan Cabaye

Darko Vojinovic/Associated Press

Back in January 2014, Yohan Cabaye joined PSG for an estimated initial €20 million fee from Newcastle United.

Since then, the France international has done little to justify that price tag, and his time in Paris can be considered a failure.

Acquired to cover for Adrien Rabiot as he recovered from a knee injury at the time, Cabaye has failed to push for a place in coach Laurent Blanc’s starting XI. The 29-year-old currently finds himself behind the 20-year-old Rabiot in the pecking order after a disappointing 2014-15 season at Parc des Princes.

In his only full campaign with the club to date, Cabaye started just 13 times in 24 Ligue 1 appearances and scored once. The former Lille OSC man was a peripheral part of Le President’s UEFA Champions League plans.

The PSG No. 4 did feature more in the domestic cups—as the capital club went on to complete the first-ever clean sweep of silverware in French football history—and he also found the net once in the 2-0 round-of-16 win over FC Nantes.

However, he only made a late cameo appearance in the Coupe de la Ligue final and was an unused substitute during their Coupe de France triumph.

Being fair to Cabaye, he has had some unlucky injuries since arriving in Paris.

However, when fit and given a chance by Blanc—a coach who is known to particularly like the midfielder from their time together with the France national team—he has simply failed to take his chances.

Cabaye threatened to rediscover some of his old form at the start of 2015 after a few encouraging displays, but injury quickly put a stop to that and he has yet to recover.

With the 2016 UEFA European Championship on home soil less than 12 months away, Cabaye finds his place in Didier Deschamps’ plans under threat and the coach has already advised the player to remedy his lack of regular football this summer.

2. Serge Aurier

Lionel Cironneau/Associated Press

Like Cabaye, Serge Aurier’s 2014-15 season with PSG was also a stop-start one.

The Ivory Coast international had a number of injury and fitness problems to contend with, as well as the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year—which Les Elephants won.

However, the 22-year-old started to find his feet in the capital toward the end of the season and should start next campaign as Laurent Blanc’s first-choice right-back.

Gregory van der Wiel has fallen out of favour in the capital after a disappointing follow-up to his excellent 2013-14 term and offers a less-balanced approach to the role than his competitor.

Now, with the Netherlands international’s future unclear as he enters the final 12 months of his contract, Aurier is ready to take over, with his move from Toulouse officially made permanent back in late April.

Out of 14 Ligue 1 appearances in 2014-15, Aurier started 12 times and provided five assists in those games compared to Van der Wiel’s two. The PSG No. 19 also featured twice in the Coupe de la Ligue, scoring his only goal of the season in a 3-1 win away at AC Ajaccio back in December.

Aurier’s absence through injury and AFCON duty meant that Marquinhos had to step in to play on the right of the defence now and again, but a less fragmented 2015-16 season should see that happen less often.

The three assists laid on in his final three appearances for PSG last season should be a sign of things to come from Aurier in the future.

1. David Luiz

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Signed for big money just over 12 months ago, David Luiz has made a solid start to life with PSG.

The Brazil international has been a fixture in Laurent Blanc’s starting XI since his arrival—mostly partnering compatriot and team captain Thiago Silva in central defence—and he has adapted well to life in France on and off the pitch.

Luiz, like many of his teammates in the wake of last summer’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil, suffered a lot with minor injuries last season.

The 28-year-old was also guilty of a few lapses of concentration, which occasionally resulted in goals being conceded, as well as trying to play through the pain barrier against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals when he clearly should not have.

However, Luiz scored some crucial goals for PSG last term, too. The Selecao star found the net in the 3-2 group-stage win over Barcelona and headed the vital first equaliser as Les Parisiens knocked Chelsea out of Europe with a 2-2 draw away at Stamford Bridge in the last 16.

Luiz also chipped in with two goals in Ligue 1 and another in the Coupe de France, contributing to the capital club’s completion of a previously unprecedented domestic clean sweep by the end of the season.

Although played almost exclusively as a central defender so far, the PSG No. 32 showed when he filled in for Thiago Motta in the first leg of the Chelsea encounter that he could better serve the team deployed in defensive midfield.

Considering that the Italian’s future is under intense scrutiny right now, it could be that Luiz starts next season further forward if Motta departs. That would grant Marquinhos the guaranteed starting spot that he deserves alongside Silva.

Regardless of which position he begins next campaign in, though, Luiz contributed the most to last term’s success out of PSG’s 2014 transfer-window signings.