PSG lineup with Messi: Best players who could be benched in 2021/2022 season

PSGwere by far the big winners of the summer transfer window, and they’re about to complete one of the greatest signings in history by landing Lionel Messi. With the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, among many others, we might see one of the best lineups of all timein the 2021/22 season, with many high-profile players having to wait from the sidelines to see the field.

Even though they have one of the biggest budgets in Europe, Paris Saint-Germain didn’t need to splash the cash this summer to build an incredibly talented squad. They have landed world-class center-back Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Euro 2020 hero Gianluigi Donnarumma for free, and Messi would arrive in the same way.

They did spent the money on Achraf Hakimi, but $66 million seems to be good business. Paris weren’t lacking a powerful squad at all, so these signings haveturned them into favorites for any tournament where they show up. Besides their mind-blowing lineup, their bench would look pretty dependable as well.

How PSG’s bench would look like with Messi’s arrival

While Messi would help to configure one of the most impressive lineups of all time, Paris Saint-Germain will also have arguably the strongest bench on the continent. From the goalkeeper to the No. 9, they’ll have plenty of world-class options on the sidelines.

Keylor Navas seems to be in a tough spot after PSG signed Gianluigi Donnarumma. (Getty)

To begin with, who should the PSG goalkeeper be raises a big debate with Keylor Navas and Donnarumma in the race for the starting role. However, it seems like the Italian would be the starter, meaning they’d have a three-time UCL winner on the bench.

Their best defenderto probably miss a place in the starting eleven would be Presnel Kimpembe. Sergio Ramos and Marquinhos will likely set up the pair of center-backs, but the 25-year-old is a huge talent to have sitting outside.

Will Ander Herrera keep his spot? (Getty)

Things will get more tricky for Mauricio Pochettino in the middle of the park. PSG have plenty of options in there but only a few will be entering the pitch from the first minute. Wijnaldum andLeandro Paredes could be in the center of the field, meaning Ander Herrera, Danilo Pereira, and even Marco Verratti could not see a place in the lineup, or it could perfectly happen the other way around. Either way, we’ll see outstanding midfielders being left out of the starting XI.

Julian Draxler could be the best PSG player on the bench, unless he starts instead of Di Maria. (Getty)

When it comes to attacking midfielders, Angel Di María and Julian Draxler might fight for a spot, so one of these two would be a big impact player coming off the bench. In attack, there’s not much to guess: Neymar, Mbappe, and Messi could configure the best offensive trio in the world, with a renowned striker as Mauro Icardi probably having to sit on the bench.