Last Sunday was a busy day for Paris Saint-Germain, as the French champions confirmed the signings of Grzegorz Krychowiak from Sevilla FC and Thomas Meunier from Club Brugge.
The Poland international's arrival at Parc des Princes sees him reunite with former coach Unai Emery, who was recently installed as the French capital outfit's new boss. The 26-year-old midfielder is likely to be one of the cornerstones of the Spanish tactician's new-look PSG side.
Krychowiak is a smart signing by Les Parisiens. The former Stade de Reims and Girondins de Bordeaux man knows Ligue 1 well, speaks fluent French and occupies a position on the pitch that the kings of Le Championnat have needed to strengthen for some time.
Since leaving Reims back in the summer of 2014, Krychowiak has improved tremendously, and he is now one of the best defensive midfielders in the game. In his first press conference as PSG coach on Monday, Emery admitted that one of the first needs he identified for his new team was a "specialist" in that area.
Paris Saint-Germain is delighted to sign Grzegorz Krychowiak for 5 years ! #THEDREAMHUNTER pic.twitter.com/I2lvV8yLfG
- PSG Officiel (@PSG_inside) July 3, 2016
"Grzegorz knows Ligue 1 very well. He learned his football here in France," the man from Hondarribia said. "I coached him at Sevilla, where he progressed a lot. He knows PSG, and the opposite is also true. The team needed a specialist in this position. The club and I agreed that Grzegorz corresponded perfectly to that need."
Krychowiak stood out at Reims, and it was no surprise when Sevilla snapped him up for the modest fee of €5 million two years ago.
After two excellent seasons in Spain that included winning the UEFA Europa League twice, the man from Gryfice added to his value with an impressive 2016 UEFA European Championship campaign with Poland, and that was enough to convince the Ligue 1 giants to bring him back to France.
Krychowiak now returns to Le Championnat equipped to help ambitious PSG take the next step in the UEFA Champions League after four consecutive quarterfinal appearances and to maintain the domestic dominance established under Emery's predecessor, Laurent Blanc.
The 44-year-old tactician is expected to change the formation from Le President's possession-based 4-3-3, which was ideal for controlling matches against beatable opponents, to a more attack-minded 4-2-3-1 shape. Krychowiak will play an important role in the new system because he will take up one of the two central midfield roles, and Marco Verratti will almost certainly occupy the other.
Such a change casts doubt on the futures of Thiago Motta and Blaise Matuidi in particular, but the move should make PSG more dynamic in the middle of the pitch. Deprived of the vibrant Verratti for most of the past season, the team often looked lethargic in the midfield, and it held Blanc's men back in certain matches.
One of the reasons the capital club's signing of Krychowiak looks so smart is because of the reported transfer fee. For around just €25 million, Les Parisiens have acquired one of the best defensive midfielders in the game, and his prime years should still be ahead of him, as he is just 26.
Such a low fee is exceptionally good value in today's oversaturated market, and Sevilla supporters are entitled to feel a little robbed by this sale. PSG have often spent big on players in recent years, and those lavish acquisitions have not always worked out to be great value, but this one looks like it will be one of Qatar Sports Investments' (QSI) better decisions.
Krychowiak will not win the French giants trophies on his own, but he will play a significant part in making the team stronger. With talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic gone, Emery's emphasis will be on collective strength, and with the likes of the Pole now on board, the group is already looking formidable.
With three weeks off before he returns for preseason training, Krychowiak should have no problem fitting in with his new teammates, once he links up with them. When up to speed, he should quickly establish himself in Emery's starting XI, and the Spaniard's PSG will then start to take shape.