‘If they can win the Champions League, maybe those guys stay’: PSG have to go all the way in Europe to keep hold of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, insists Owen Hargreaves, after French giants knocked out holders Bayern Munich
- Steve Mcmanaman says Paris Saint-Germain must win the Champions League
- He claims questions will be asked of the Ligue 1 club if they fail to win the trophy
- Mcmanaman also says winning Ligue 1 is ‘not good enough’ given their players
- While Owen Hargreaves claims victory could define PSG’s identity as a club
Steve Mcmanaman says Paris Saint-Germain must win the Champions League otherwise questions will be asked of the club.
Mcmanaman praised the French side for knocking Bayern Munich out of the competition but says they must now go on to claim the trophy given the ‘nature of the players they have’.
He added that winning Ligue 1 is ‘not good enough’ anymore and that Mauricio Pochettino must focus on keeping Neymar and Kylian Mbappe fit for the European stage.
Steve Mcmanaman says Paris Saint-Germain must win the Champions League this season
PSG have progressed through to the semi-finals despite losing the second-leg 1-0 thanks to Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting goal.
Having reached the next stage on away goals, Mcmanaman claims PSG must go on to win the trophy.
He told BT Sport: ‘They need to win this competition. We also speak about Manchester City needing to win the competition.
‘Because they are so dominant in their respective leagues, they need to win this trophy.
He claims questions will be asked of the Ligue 1 club if they fail to win the trophy
Mcmanaman also says winning just Ligue 1 is ‘not good enough’ given their players
‘If they don’t win it, there will be question marks about PSG because that’s just the nature of the beast and the nature of the players they have as they are such stars.
‘They have to get over the line sooner or later. The league’s not good enough for Poch [Pochettino] and the cup is not good enough.
‘They need to win the Champions League.
Mcmanaman went on to say how Pochettino must keep the likes of Neymar – who hit the woodwork for PSG win the first half of their second-leg tie against Bayern – safe over the coming weeks.
He said: ‘It’s a huge moment tonight [Tuesday], but can they go on? They need to keep people fit, of course that’s paramount with the semi-finals coming up in a couple of weeks.
‘They need a bit of fortune wrapping everyone in cotton wool and keeping Neymar and Mbappe away from all the trouble in Ligue 1.
‘They have a wonderful chance if they play like that and have the same type of commitment.’
He added that Mauricio Pochettino must focus on keeping Neymar and Kylian Mbappe fit
While Owen Hargreaves claims Champions League victory will define PSG’s identity as a club
Owen Hargreaves agreed with Mcmanaman and claimed Champions League glory could be a defining moment for PSG’s identity.
He saiid: ‘Neymar and Mbappe only have a year left on their deals. So, it feels like this is a huge moment for them.
‘I’m sure Mbappe is thinking he could easily stay there or he could easily go play elsewhere – whether that be Real Madrid or Liverpool.
‘For Neymar, he is 29 now. He could go back to Barca or stay at PSG.
‘This is a huge moment for them. They need to win the Champions League. Ligue 1 is not enough.
‘If they can win the Champions League, maybe those guys stay and then they can build something fresh with Poch [Pochettino].’