Warren Zaïre-Emery’s versatility at PSG, benefit or burden? | OneFootball

Starting at left-back in Lille last Friday, Warren Zaïre-Emery keeps being shifted across positions for Paris Saint-Germain. For the 20-year-old, the question is whether that versatility remains a benefit or becomes a burden.

He came on only in the 96th minute of the Champions League final win over Arsenal on 30 May, the 1-1 settled 4-3 on penalties. According to L'Équipe, his season was heavy on minutes, with 21 at right-back after Achraf Hakimi’s injury and AFCON, then 25 as a relay midfielder and four as a holding player, ending with selection in the 26-man World Cup squad.

His club status has barely shifted, with Luis Enrique still preferring Ruiz, Vitinha and Neves in midfield, and Lille’s 2-2 saw Zaïre-Emery at left-back. The coach said he can play anywhere, praised last year’s work on the right and felt he did very well on the left, adding his mobility could help.

The role is not entirely new. Early in the summer with France he tried it in training and said versatility helps the coach and the team, joking he would even go in goal.

The World Cup nevertheless raised concerns. Limited to 19 minutes against Morocco in a 2-0 quarter-final, he feared a repeat of Euro 2024 when he did not play, and, pushed by his representatives, met Didier Deschamps to ask how to earn more time and to voice frustration.

In Paris he will not complain publicly this year, but uncertainty over his best role may test patience. Versatility underpins his PSG minutes, though it may not help him unseat France’s midfield hierarchy. For now, those close to him rule out a move, saying he loves Paris and already has 187 senior appearances and 13 caps at 20. Next summer will show if that stance changes.

Source: L'Équipe

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”