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PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 14: Lucas Moura of PSG cerebrates his goal during the French Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and FC Nantes at Parc des Princes stadium on May 14, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 14: Lucas Moura of PSG cerebrates his goal during the French Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and FC Nantes at Parc des Princes stadium on May 14, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

3 Players PSG Should Clear out in 2016 Summer Transfer Window

Andrew GibneyJun 4, 2016

Just like in most houses around France, the summer is a time for football clubs to have a look in the wardrobe and decide what to keep and what needs to be sent to the charity shops—at the Parc des Princes, Laurent Blanc has some tough decisions to make when it comes to who he should clear out from Paris Saint-Germain's squad.

You always have to be looking to develop the group of players you have. If you are not moving forward, sometimes you are actually falling backward.

New players need to come in the push and pressure players who have become too comfortable in their current roles, and there needs to be an injection of new blood to keep things interesting. Players can often go a little stale if they are not challenged.

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Changes need to be made, and here are three players whom PSG should clear out this summer.

PARIS, FRANCE - APRIL 23: Javier Pastore, goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, David Luiz of PSG celebrate winning the French League Cup final (finale de la Coupe de la Ligue) between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Lille OSC (LOSC) at Stade de France on April 23,

Salvatore Sirigu

The arrival of Kevin Trapp last summer all but signalled the end of Sirigu’s time in the French capital. After five seasons at the club, the Italian has gone from starting 34 games to starting just three.

When it became apparent that the ‘keeper was the clear No. 2 at the club, it was expected he would leave in the January window, but Blanc wasn’t keen, via Football Italia.

"

He is not nearing the end of his contract and there are no other players whose contract expires in January.

Salvatore didn't ask me anything. His situation is difficult and I sincerely hope it can be improved.

I don't like the January transfer window very much but I don't think much is going to happen between now and the market's closing day.

"

Sirigu didn’t move on and only managed a handful of appearances.

“PSG wanted to put me outside of the club,” he told L’Equipe (h/t beIN Sports  USA). “I never have been in a ‘healthy’ competition with Kevin Trapp.

“I was disappointed,” he added. “The issue was not the fact I was not playing but that no one took me into consideration.”

His omission confused many, with the belief being that the Italian international had done nothing to deserve the demotion and Trapp’s early performances left more doubts over Blanc’s decision.

Sirigu is a top-class goalkeeper and deserves to be starting for one of Europe’s big clubs. If that isn’t going to be PSG, he needs to be allowed to move on this summer and restart his career.

PSG also have Alphonse Areola out on loan at Villarreal, and the France international is expected to one day become the Parisians’ No. 1—another player to move in front of Sirigu. It’s time for the Italian to find a new club.

PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 14: Lucas Moura of PSG cerebrates his goal with Marquinhos during the French Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and FC Nantes at Parc des Princes stadium on May 14, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Image

Lucas Moura

The Brazilian's career at PSG has come to the stage where you believe that the club could be tempted to let him go if an appropriate offer came their way this summer.

Ever since he joined for £44 million from Sao Paulo in 2012, the winger has never quite been able to live up to the huge fee the Parisians paid to the Brazilian side. He arrived with amazing potential but still hasn’t kicked on from the player he was then.

It’s difficult to say that his ability has developed four years after moving to Paris.

PSG are blessed with several talented players in the same position, as Angel Di Maria and Javier Pastore play a similar role to Lucas. There is also a chance that the club will go out and spend money on another attacker, after being linked with Cristiano Ronaldo, according to AS, Neymar, per Marca, and Antoine Griezmann, per L’Equipe (h/t Get French Football News) and others.

It is already hard to find minutes for all three; finding space for four becomes impossible.

This season, Lucas finished with nine goals and five assists, but you always have that feeling he could deliver a lot more.

At the present moment, the 23-year-old is still worth a lot of money. The longer he stays in Paris without progressing, that value is only going to drop. The club should use this summer’s Copa America as a shop window, hope Lucas impresses and cash in before it’s too late.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA - JULY 12:  Jean-Christophe Bahebeck of Paris Saint-Germain controls the ball during the Friendly Match between Wiener Sportklub and Paris Saint-Germain at Sportclub Platz on July 12, 2015 in Vienna, Austria.  (Photo by Christian Hofer/Get

Jean-Christophe Bahebeck

Once heralded as the next big thing to come out of PSG’s academy, the 23-year-old forward has almost become the forgotten man at the Parc des Princes.

After joining the club in the USA for their pre-season preparations, he left for Saint-Etienne on a season-long loan and was excited by the prospect, per Goal.com.

"The Stade Geoffroy-Guichard has a fabulous atmosphere, one of the best in France. When you sign for Saint-Etienne, you know you will be supported by many fans."

Sadly, it was a campaign mixed with injuries, inconsistency and an overall sense of disappointment. His time at Les Verts has ended with the forward scoring just once in 16 league appearances.

His coach, Christophe Galtier, via Goal.com, was understandably optimistic about the deal, hoping he could follow in the footsteps of some of the great young players that shone at Le Chaudron.

"After the departure of Max Gradel [to Bournemouth], we wanted someone who could move to one side, right or left," he added.

"Jean-Christophe has these features. He is also a very skilful player on set pieces, is versatile and can occupy the three front positions.

"I know what the player expects coming here and I told him what I expected from him. There is no established hierarchy. The position that is his, players like Dimitri Payet or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rose to here.”

When playing for the French youth teams, you could see the flashes of brilliance he possesses, but he never quite found that level for Saint-Etienne.

That was his third loan spell in four seasons, and although he gained a lot of experience, playing 62 times in the top flight, he only managed six goals. Three for ES Troyes AC, two for Valenciennes and his single strike against Stade de Reims for Les Stephanois.

With the emergence of Jean-Kevin Augustin and promise of 18-year-old Odsonne Edouard, it’s unlikely that Bahebeck will ever be given the chance to lead the PSG attack.

He has now found himself in a position where he is not the up-and-coming youth talent, but he’s nowhere near the level of player that would be trusted with a place in the starting lineup on a consistent basis.

Bahebeck needs to realise that his time at PSG—scoring twice during the 2014-15 season—is up. He needs to find a club where he can move on a permanent deal, lay down some roots and, most importantly, play regular minutes for a club that wants him and wants to develop his obvious ability.

That’s not going to happen at PSG, and the sooner the club and the player realise this, the quicker he can restart his career.

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