*This content was translated by AI.
After letting go of South Korea's 'ace' Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid), Paris Saint-Germain (France·PSG) is now investing a large sum in Japanese national team goalkeeper Suzuki Shion.
Italian media outlet Football Italia reported on the 12th (Korean time) that "PSG has reached an agreement with Parma regarding the transfer fee for acquiring Suzuki."
European transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano also stated, "PSG will pay Parma €35 million (approximately 570 billion won) to sign Suzuki this summer." It is reported that PSG and Suzuki have agreed to a five-year contract.
PSG parted ways with Lee Kang-in this summer. Atletico Madrid officially announced the acquisition of Lee Kang-in on the 25th of last month. The contract runs until June 2031. Lee Kang-in was also assigned the number 7 jersey, which symbolizes the team's ace.
According to local reports, Lee Kang-in's transfer fee is set at a base €35 million with additional options attached.
Coincidentally, the amount PSG is investing in acquiring Suzuki is also €35 million. After selling Lee Kang-in, PSG appears to be reinvesting a similar sum into signing a Japanese national team goalkeeper.
However, it is highly unlikely that Suzuki will immediately play for PSG after being acquired. A scenario where he is loaned out shortly after the transfer is being discussed. The most likely destination is the Italian powerhouse Juventus.
Football Italia explained, "Suzuki is not expected to secure a guaranteed starting position at PSG," noting that "PSG still has Matthieu Saunier, who has UEFA Champions League (UCL) winning experience, and last summer acquired Lucas Chevalier for €40 million (approximately 650 billion won)."
It further added, "Given this situation, there are expectations that PSG will loan Suzuki out for the 2026-2027 season to ensure he receives consistent playing time."
The outlet emphasized, "Currently, Juventus is the team most advanced in the race to acquire Suzuki on loan."
At Juventus, Italian national Michele Di Gregorio serves as the starting goalkeeper but faced significant criticism last season for displaying unstable performances.
As a result, it is reported that Juventus has also shown considerable interest in acquiring Suzuki on loan.
Suzuki developed at Japanese J-League club Urawa Red Diamonds before moving to Belgian side Sint-Truiden, and then completed a permanent transfer to Parma in 2024. Over the following two seasons, he established himself as the starting goalkeeper in Serie A, gaining experience in top-tier European football.
If PSG's plan to acquire Suzuki and immediately loan him to Juventus materializes, Suzuki will gain another season of experience at a prestigious Serie A club before heading to Paris for further development.
Another Italian media outlet, Sport Mediaset, reported that Juventus did not initially welcome the idea of loaning Suzuki.
The outlet shared behind-the-scenes details: "Initially, Juventus was not particularly enthusiastic about loaning Suzuki. They did not want a scenario where they would develop the player without a permanent transfer option and then return him to PSG."
However, the situation has changed. Sport Mediaset stated, "Di Gregorio recently committed errors, and Juventus faced difficulties in acquiring other goalkeepers they desired, leading club executives to change their minds. Ultimately, they decided to pursue Suzuki on a one-season loan."
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*This content was translated by AI.
