[Severac/Chantegrelet] PSG: Why Campos should survive Mbappé’s departure. Claimed by Kylian Mbappé, the Portuguese manager has succeeded two years later in finding his place at PSG. His destiny is no longer linked to that of the star and he is working on the next summer mercato. (Long read)

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1. And where does Luis Campos stand in all this? The Portuguese manager was brought in to reinforce Kylian Mbappé’s central role in the summer of 2022, and will lose a key ally in a few weeks’ time with the departure of the Paris star. But his position today, just like his role and weight, are different.
   Internally, he can count on a number of influential allies (and a few enemies too…). His central role in the strategy to be followed at the next mercato also makes him an important element in the future of PSG, where he could well see himself staying until the end of his contract in 2025. That’s the current trend, but anything can happen very quickly at PSG. We take a look at the reasons why the Portuguese could stay in his job.

   **His destiny is not linked to that of Mbappé**

   The Portuguese manager arrived at PSG on 10 June 2022 in the wake of Kylian Mbappé’s two-year extension (plus an optional season). To show the striker that he was finally at the centre of everything, the Qatari owner agreed to install this man who had been close to the star since he was 14 years old and during his time in Monaco as a sporting advisor, in charge of first-team policy. Two years later, the club’s all-time top scorer is preparing to leave Ligue 1 for Real Madrid, and Luis Campos could stay in the French capital.
   This is both his wish – his contract runs out in June 2025 and he intends to see it through to the end – and the trend, even though he knows that he works in a business where the wind changes very quickly. While he would have been blamed for the departure of the Les Bleus captain last summer, Mbappé’s recent decision does not affect his situation, even if he is not fooled into thinking that some in-house players will still try to blame him. This is because relations between the No7 and his president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi (NAK) have been calmer for nine months and the Portuguese has never negotiated a single parameter of the player’s contract.

   It was NAK himself and a little Antero Henrique, the former sporting director (2017-2019), who drew up this contract extension with a third year at the centre-forward’s discretion, which he will never lift. The chairman has understood Kylian Mbappé’s determination to leave PSG, a determination that no one, not even Luis Campos, can oppose. In high places, they point out that PSG have become a more balanced club where they stop constantly recruiting and sacking. “It’s clear that Campos still has a role to play, because PSG need to replace Mbappé with a host of new players,” they say.

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2. **Peaceful internal relations**

   Things have also changed with his environment. The sporting advisor still has enemies within the club, and his recent relationship with Victoriano Melero, PSG’s general secretary, is well known. Campos is often accused of being a terrible person, with methods of separating administrative and sporting powers that divide the staff. But that is also why Luis Enrique, the coach, adores him.

   While their pairing did not necessarily seem natural – especially after the year-long stint of Christophe Galtier, a close friend of Campos – the two natives of the Iberian peninsula get on very well at a club that has multiplied impossible duos until the Thomas Tuchel – Leonardo tandem, two rivals who could not manage each other. Both privately and publicly, the two Luises are delighted to be working together and share the same vision of the team, its strengths and weaknesses, the style of play advocated and the areas for improvement. That’s a big deal at a club like Paris, where egos can turn heads. The intransigence of the two men is another thing they have in common.

   Without adopting the same fluidity, the cohabitation between the Portuguese and his president found its cruising speed, mainly during the last transfer window. Campos initiates contacts and the Qatari comes to complete the negotiations based on common wish lists. Here again, PSG has not always functioned in such a collegial manner. This return to normal contributes to strengthening the weight of the Portuguese in the structure. Today, Campos not only manages purchases or sales but is also involved in the financial strategy in relation to players’ contracts and their salaries, now partly indexed to performance.

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3. **For the transfer window, its priorities are already defined**

   A year and a half from the end of his contract, Luis Campos has already established his lists for the next transfer window. Since Kylian Mbappé cannot be replaced by a single element, he pointed out several in the offensive sector. He intends to try again for a third time in a row with Bernardo Silva, 30 years old in August, who would have a release clause of 58 million euros next summer, two years before the end of his commitment with Manchester City. The Napoli striker, finalist of the last CAN with Nigeria, Victor Osimhen, 25, is also being tracked despite an insane sale price – 130 million euros. Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, 29 years old and 82 caps with the Mannschaft, will arrive this summer in the last year of his contract and is not indifferent to the interest of PSG. Leny Yoro, the young defender from Lille, is part of the recruiter’s wishes, always in his desire to promote young talents like Bradley Barcola and Lucas Beraldo, in whom he firmly believes in the more collective project currently underway.

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4. For the francophones https://archive.is/Rps2y since it’s hidden behind a paywall

5. Honestly I’ll see how Campos plays out signing-wise this summer. His supposed good relationship with Enrique is a good sign, but we’ll see if the partnership is fruitful after the summer mercato.

6. Bernado Silva, Kimmich, Osimhen, Yoro… a man sure can dream