Realistic 2015/16 Expectations at PSG for Former Spurs Man Benjamin Stambouli

After just one season at the club, Benjamin Stambouli called an end to his time at Tottenham Hotspur this summer, joining French champions Paris Saint-Germain in July.

The former Montpellier man didn’t enjoy the best of times in London. Rarely used, he struggled to find his feet, and the Spurs fans were not treated to the same player that helped Montpellier win the 2011/12 Ligue 1 title.

The French midfielder joins the Parisians knowing he is not guaranteed to start in Laurent Blanc’s team, but that doesn’t mean he won’t have increased expectations for the season ahead.

“I am delighted and very proud to become a member of the Paris Saint-Germain family,” said Stambouli during his first press conference, via the official PSG website. He continued:

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I wasn’t necessarily planning to leave the Premier League after one year but when a club with the stature of Paris Saint-Germain calls you, it makes your choice a lot easier! That’s the moment when you really experience the power of this club. I will now focus on my preseason. It will be important to take advantage of the friendly games that we still have to play in the U.S. to find my marks on the pitch.

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Stambouli made his debut against Fiorentina in the International Champions Cup just hours after being unveiled. He also played the last 20 minutes as PSG beat Lyon 2-0 in the Trophee des Champions in Montreal.

The 25-year-old has played in three of PSG's four league games this season, but for only a total of 40 minutes. There is no doubt that he is behind Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta and Blaise Matuidi in the midfield pecking order, but that doesn’t mean he won’t have a role to play.

“It is with a great pleasure that I welcome Benjamin Stambouli to our club," said PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi when the deal was confirmed.

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He is a French player who has already proved the impact that he can make in midfield both athletically and technically. France is going to rediscover a player that was full of promises when he was playing in Ligue 1.

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The season before joining Spurs, Stambouli played 37 times for Montpellier, appearing for the full 90 minutes in every game he featured. In the Premier League he only enjoyed 454 minutes on the pitch, plus six starts in the Europa League.

His first aim will be to feature more for the French champions. His next goal will be to outshine Yohan Cabaye’s minutes from last season. Despite being a regular in the French national team, the new Crystal Palace signing only made 13 starts for PSG.

During his 967 minutes in Ligue 1, Cabaye only registered one goal and one assist—although Stambouli is not known for his contributions in the final third, he will be confident he can at least match those numbers while also making more of an impact on PSG’s overall play.

Xavier Laine/Getty Images

His competition on the bench is teenager Adrien Rabiot, but Stambouli will definitely be relied on more when it comes to adding strength and organisation to the midfield. He is the perfect replacement for Motta off the bench and brings drive, determination and a physical spark to the team.

He is more experienced than Rabiot, having left Montpellier as the club captain. As Al Khelaifi mentioned, this is a player who knows Ligue 1 well and will have no problem stepping into the team at any point.

With Champions League commitments and two domestic cup competitions to come, Stambouli will have no problem finding game time this season. It will be up to him to make it count, though. That is something that Cabaye failed to do, and sadly, it won’t take much for the new recruit to excel where the former Newcastle United man failed.