Creating Laurent Blanc's 2016 Summer Blueprint for PSG

Laurent Blanc goes into the summer break on the back of Paris Saint-Germain securing their second straight domestic quadruple. It should be cause for celebration, but the expectations and aspirations go much higher at this club.

For the fourth consecutive season, the Parisians were eliminated at the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League. The biggest blow was not just the defeat, but the manner in which they failed to turn up against Manchester City.

Missed chances in the first leg put them on the back foot, and a flat, unorganised and disappointing display at the Etihad Stadium saw the club exit with a whimper. It led to rumours that the coach’s time in Paris could be up.

FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images

Now, Blanc has to deal with a life without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while continuing their domestic dominance and trying to find a way of improving in Europe.

Regardless of the changes that will take place in the French capital this summer, don’t expect president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to reduce the pressure to progress in Europe’s elite competition. If anything, the heat will only continue to rise.

This is Blanc’s opportunity to show his adaptability and leadership as a head coach. He may not be the only person in charge of making sporting decisions at the club—but the blame will always land at his feet.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

What to do with Edinson Cavani

Ibrahimovic is gone, there is nothing much the French coach can do about that. However, what he does with his other centre-forward will play a huge part in the next campaign.

On one hand, the Swede’s departure will open the door for the Uruguayan to become the spearhead of the attack, but there may also be a chance that he could leave the club.

Rumours have circulated for months now, but speaking this week on international duty, he failed to rule out a move to Atletico Madrid.

"It's a really competitive team that has demonstrated interest in me and that pleases me, you never know if things could go further," Cavani told a news conference. "Football is always changing and you never know. Right now I'm a PSG player and I have to respect that; it would be improper to speak more about it."

With the forward away on international duty, he couldn't deny that he had been in conversation with Atleti's centre-back Diego Godin.

"We're all friends in the team and Diego is in contact with everybody, being the captain," the striker said. "Sometimes it's inevitable that we'll talk about the club he's at, it's normal he'd consult me about things involving me."

After the Coupe de France final, when PSG beat Marseille 4-1, Al-Khelaifi tried to quiet down the questions over who would replace Ibrahimovic by giving Cavani his full support.

"Don't forget that we already have a great attacker at the club—Edinson Cavani," Al-Khelaifi he told French radio station RMC (via ESPN.co.uk). "Our objective is to win trophies—I hope that next year it will be the Champions League. That's our big objective—our dream. We're going to try to do it...we're close."

Without Zlatan and with Cavani’s future uncertain, PSG may be further away than he thinks. Either way, the longer the doubt remains the harder it will be for the club to fully compete next season.

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Find that star-name player

Once Cavani’s future is sorted, the next stage of the rebuilding process is to refocus the spotlight on the Parc des Princes with a big-name, superstar-level signing.

Cristiano Ronaldo is unlikely to join. Asked after Real Madrid lifted the Champions League trophy, he described any potential move as “difficult,” per beIN Sports (h/t Get French Football News).

Barcelona’s Neymar was also heavily linked, with stories even emerging that Al-Khelaifi travelled to Ibiza to try to convince him to sign, per Mundo Deportivo (h/t Metro.co.uk). However, the Brazil international is expected to sign a new deal, via the Daily Mail.

With those names off the table, especially if Cavani stays at the club, there are a limited number of names that would grab the imagination. Eden Hazard of Chelsea has consistently been rumoured, per the Sun, and he would be a great move.

After a mostly disappointing season, there are no guarantees that he fits into new manager Antonio Conte’s plans. PSG would offer him Champions League football again and a fresh start. He would slot into the left of the attack but would make the team more unpredictable and fluid.

Players such as Alexandre Lacazette have been mentioned with a potential move, according to L'Equipe (h/t ESPN FC), but signing him would signal a change in strategy by Blanc for next season.

There’s nothing to say he won’t go down that route, but if he wouldn’t change towards the Cavani and Ibrahimovic partnership, is he going to do it for Cavani and a new signing? Perhaps he should, but it seems a long shot.

Lyon president, Jean-Michel Aulas, opened the door for a potential deal for Lacazette this week, and there is little doubt he would be a huge signing for the Parisian club, but it’s unlikely he would be the name that has the Parisians flocking to the 16th arrondissement next season.

JEFF PACHOUD/Getty Images

A case for the defence

It may sound like a strange thing to say after a season in which they only conceded 19 league goals, but the PSG defence has issues.

Serge Aurier has cast a huge shadow over his own future with his behaviour this week—as discussed previously in this column. Gregory van der Wiel’s exit this summer, per the Daily Mail, could leave Blanc without a recognised right-back.

He could play Marquinhos there, but that in itself just patches over the problem. The young Brazilian is already underused in his natural position, and making him the starting full-back would only make it more difficult for him to gain minutes through the centre.

That would also mean that Blanc would need to find another centre-back to play as the third or fourth option in the squad. Which would in itself stop the development of young local defender Presnel Kimpembe.

Going into his third season with the club, there is only so much patience one man can have. Sooner or later, Marquinhos is going to get bored of playing back-up to David Luiz. Many believe that the younger Brazilian is already a better player than the former Chelsea man, but he continued to play the role of understudy.

Thiago Silva has a huge role to play in this. If the club captain feels more comfortable playing beside David Luiz, then Blanc will play him. You are not going to jeopardise the position of your best defender, even if, on paper, it would possibly build a stronger back four.

Addressing these three areas will help build a better team for next season. It may not be a blueprint to Champions League success, but it is a positive start and a step in the right direction.