FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - FC Salzburg v Paris St Germain - Red Bull Arena Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria - December 10, 2024 Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique before the match REUTERS/Gintare Karpaviciute/File Photo
(Reuters) - Paris St Germain will focus on developing their young talent rather than pursuing reinforcements in the January transfer window as they already have a strong squad, manager Luis Enrique said ahead of Sunday’s French Cup clash with RC Lens.
With the departure of talisman Kylian Mbappe, midfielders Manuel Ugarte, and Danilo Pereira last season, PSG have embraced a new chapter filled with emerging talent.
The French champions, once known for spending big in the transfer market with high-profile signings such as Neymar Jr and Lionel Messi, have shifted to a more measured and attentive approach.
"What gift do I hope for at Christmas? I am very happy with the squad. The best approach during every transfer window is to stay attentive," the Spaniard told reporters on Saturday.
"It’s difficult to improve our squad. We want to develop our young talents. As far as the market is concerned, we've got a very good team."
"Last year, we made more than 10 transfers. There’s no urgency or need at the moment. If there’s an opportunity to improve the squad then great but we already have a very strong team."
Holders PSG will aim to win the Coupe de France a record 16th time this season, starting with their first-round match against Lens, who are seventh in the Ligue 1 standings.
PSG lead Ligue 1 with 40 points, 10 clear of second-placed Marseille but have struggled in the Champions League, sitting 25th and they will need to be at their best to stay alive in the competition, which resumes next month.
"From January onwards, we continue in all competitions, it will be very demanding... I like that the players are able to rest a bit. It's all about disconnecting now to be able to work as best as possible for the second half of the season," Luis Enrique added.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is out after suffering a facial injury during PSG's 4-2 win against Monaco on Wednesday, while defender Nuno Mendes is fit and likely to feature on Sunday after recovering from a thigh injury sustained in last weekend's league win over Lyon.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
