Zaïre-Emery set for a new role, Sagnol gives his approval!

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·6 January 2026

Zaïre-Emery set for a new role, Sagnol gives his approval!

Warren Zaïre-Emery, a 19-year-old midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team, has been playing consecutive matches as a right-back for PSG due to Achraf Hakimi’s (27 years old) injury at the beginning of November and his current participation in the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco. After some impressive performances, the idea of seeing him settle into this role is taking hold. Willy Sagnol, former right-back for Les Bleus and Bayern Munich, and now coach of Georgia, supported this idea in L’Equipe, with a specific note on the player’s profile.

Sagnol: “He has all the qualities to be a full-back.”

I understand why this is a topic, because Warren has the tactical background for the position. And physically, he has all the qualities to be a full-back. So I’m not surprised that he’s thriving there. He has a low center of gravity, good balance, which allows him to change direction quickly and stick to fast, tricky wingers in one-on-one situations.

Sagnol: “Warren won’t be a classic full-back”

Offensively, what’s interesting is that he can start from deeper. He has the game in front of him, he doesn’t get stuck with his back to goal, and that fits his qualities. Warren won’t be a classic full-back: with the ball at his feet, he’s not going to be very creative. But he’ll be more of a finisher, as we’ve seen. With cut-back crosses, shots.”

If Zaïre-Emery manages to fill in as a full-back at PSG, it’s no coincidence. He truly has the game intelligence to do it and a certain technical quality. As well as the speed and power to hold his flank or offer options. It’s an option that is particularly defensive. At least, for now.

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We see him pushing forward, but he is much less creative than Hakimi. Which is not surprising, given how special the Moroccan is. But there are other “regular” full-backs who are more offensive than Zaïre-Emery. He isn’t particularly adept at beating opponents one-on-one. In fact, contrary to what Sagnol suggests, we often see him quite comfortable turning using his strength. This even happens when recovering the ball. He can thus be very valuable in midfield.

There’s no question yet of making Zaïre-Emery a full-back as a priority. But it’s a position he can fill. Especially in Luis Enrique’s PSG, which favors positional changes during the game.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.