Grading Paris Saint-Germain on Their 2016 Summer Transfer Window Business

This summer was always going to be tough for Paris Saint-Germain. With Unai Emery in charge, it is a start of a new era in the French capital, and the Spanish boss is looking to mould the team in his own image.

The departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Manchester United helped in that regard, but replacing the Swedish talisman is a near-impossible task.

In what could be deemed smart business, the club has not moved to replace Zlatan. The main attacking signing, Jese Rodriguez from Real Madrid, gives them another body up front, but he is nothing like their all-time leading goalscorer.

There is an element of confusion with regard to the signing, too. As they already had Javier Pastore, Lucas Moura, Angel Di Maria and free transfer Hatem Ben Arfa, Jese was not the type of signing they needed—as previously discussed here.

From a club that brought in the likes of Thiago Silva, Edinson Cavani, Di Maria and Zlatan in recent years, this summer has had a low-key feel to it. The squad needed to be strengthened, and perhaps you could say that has been achieved in terms of numbers, but it's hard to be bold and claim the overall quality has increased.

Rather than rely on the goals of Ibrahimovic, Emery will be hoping his forwards spread the burden around the attack. But asking that of Jese, Lucas and Pastore, none of whom have been prolific at any stage of their careers, is a massive risk.

Previously one of their strongest positions, the attack now looks a little lightweight, especially with the continued doubts over Cavani's ability to lead the line for a team with the ambition of winning the UEFA Champions League.

Behind the Uruguayan, you have Jese, who is not a natural striker, and then the burgeoning talents of Jean-Kevin Augustin and Odsonne Edouard—on loan at Toulouse. It's safe to say that front line won't be giving the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich any sleepless nights.

Ben Arfa enjoyed a wonderful season for Nice last term, scoring 17 goals. He was easily one of the best players in Ligue 1. As a free transfer, his arrival is low-risk and without any downside; it is up to the player to show he is good enough for the Champions League.

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Nouvelle vidéo géniale de Hatem Ben Arfa à 12 ans (face aux recruteurs de club) : https://t.co/agOGyn0T98 #HBA #BenArfa #PSG @PSG_inside

— al Sahm (@AlS4hm) August 22, 2016"

PSG don't need signings such as Ben Arfa to help them win the league. The squad is more than strong enough to confirm the club's fifth consecutive title, but that's not the aim.

There's no doubt he has the potential, but just like Pastore and Lucas, he needs to step up and prove he is capable of mixing with Europe's elite.

Midfield has always been PSG's strongest position, and the signing of Grzegorz Krychowiak looks like an excellent move.

He was an integral part of Emery's success at Sevilla, and he'll help convey the Spaniard's ideas and philosophy. Plus, he is an excellent player.

"

Ben Arfa, Jesé, Meunier, Krychowiak et Emery seront présentés au Parc ce dimanche https://t.co/svYCwVWx8d #PSG pic.twitter.com/yzz0KXASXt

— Paris No Limit™ (@ParisNoLimit) August 20, 2016"

Away at Manchester City last season, PSG's injury problems ripped the heart out of the midfield, but with Emery favouring a 4-2-3-1 formation, he has five first-team central midfielders ready to fight for just two places.

There were rumours that Blaise Matuidi was close to leaving the club, such as in La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t ESPN FC's Ben Gladwell), and it could have been the perfect time to say goodbye to the France international. But the window closed without a sale, which hands Emery another option. 

Marco Verratti and Krychowiak could be the long-term starters, but Matuidi likely won't be happy with that and will want minutes. Thirty-four-year-old Thiago Motta, at this stage of his career, could be happy to play the veteran role in the squad, but there is one issue that could flare up again.

Adrien Rabiot showed his ability last season. He was already likely disappointed to be fourth choice when former boss Laurent Blanc played a three-man midfield. Now, he could still be fourth in the pecking order with just two starting spots available. He and Verratti are two players PSG could build around—it would be criminal if his progression stalled.

The problem here is not the signing of Krychowiak—he looks like he fits PSG's mantra perfectly—but that the club could have done more to move another midfielder on.

One move that worked in their favour was the €10 million transfer of Benjamin Stambouli. Selling a player who had no role at the club for a decent fee was a good piece of business. His career has stagnated since he left Montpellier in 2014, and that fee seems well over the odds for a PSG reserve player.

This summer, it's the defence that has seen the biggest changes.

The deadline-day deal that saw David Luiz move back to Chelsea completely shakes things up. It may leave the club a little short at centre-back, but with rumours linking them with a January move for Sao Paulo’s Rodrigo Caio, relayed by journalist Jonathan Johnson for ESPN FC, that potential problem could be resolved before the Champions League moves into the knockout stages.

Losing Luiz takes away numbers rather than quality, with Emery apparently trusting Presnel Kimpembe more than the Brazilian. Their performances in the 3-1 defeat against AS Monaco on Sunday showcased that perfectly.

Serge Aurier will now play the role as the fourth centre-back, which makes the signing of Thomas Meunier much more important. The Belgian looked good in pre-season training, suggesting he could be an able replacement, offering the same style as Aurier.

He is also a much stronger option than Gregory van der Wiel, who move to Fenerbahce on a free transfer. In the full-back positions, PSG have four players all capable of starting, with three centre-backs and options to fill in.

Behind the back four, Alphonse Areola, back from his loan spell at Villarreal, will fight with Kevin Trapp for the No. 1 jersey. The 23-year-old Areola is considered by some to be the future of the club, and hopefully he will get his chance to show that in some way this term.

Overall, it's hard to view PSG's 2016 summer transfer window as a success.

There have been some good signings. Krychowiak, Meunier, Ben Arfa and Jese are all good players, but PSG's window lacks star power, the sort of move that fires you up the ladder and into contention as one of Europe's best teams.

Emery was appointed to usher in a new era at the club. Yet it feels that if they haven't quite fallen backward, they have definitely not moved forward.

For a club aiming to "dream bigger," with grand ambitions of lifting the Champions League trophy, all these transfers are just too similar to what Emery would have done at Sevilla on his way to three successive UEFA Europa League crowns.

PSG should be aiming higher. There is no problem in signing the players they have, but by failing to add one or two blockbuster names, they could have lost ground on their competition.

One criticism toward PSG since Qatar Sports Investments took over in 2011 has been the lack of a long-term plan. This summer could just be the start of something bigger, but without results and progression, patience has never been a virtue of president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

Without buying big, the pressure on Emery shouldn't be as high, but it will make his job much harder.

Grade: C+: Some good signings, but the lack of star power has weakened their chances in the Champions League.