On 16th August 2024, while some were enjoying their last days of holiday and others were already returning to work, Achraf Hakimi, for his part, was returning to the Parc des Princes pitch, just eight days after leading the Moroccan selection to third place of the Olympic tournament.
At the time, he didn’t know it yet, but the right-back had embarked on a 2024-25 season that would propel him to the status of Ballon d’Or favourite.
A key player for Luis Enrique, a leading figure in PSG’s historic first Champions League victory, and a leader in the dressing room, Hakimi enjoyed an extraordinary year. One of those that sometimes only happen once in a career. One of those that also make it into the history books.
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It must be said that few full-backs can boast of having had a season as impressive and consistent as the one Hakimi has produced. For the Moroccan, however, this was not a one-off phenomenon. From Dortmund to PSG, via Inter Milan, the Real Madrid-trained player has experienced a steady rise. So much so that at 26, he is now an accomplished player and “without a doubt, for me, the best right-back in the world,” claims Enrique. A right-back, in name only, given how well-developed his defensive and offensive skills are.
And yet, despite the unanimous feeling surrounding Hakimi, PSG’s decision not to look for a replacement for him this summer (only Lucas Chevalier, Ilya Zabarnyi and Renato Marin arrived in the French capital during the transfer window) has raised and continues to raise questions among observers. Some of the questions have clear answers, provided by Enrique through his comments and tactical choices.
As the Asturian coach pointed out at the end of September when asked about any potential regrets regarding the ‘limited’ mercato (in terms of quantity and the numerous injuries he had to deal with at the time) carried out by his management, finding a player compatible with PSG “is not like going shopping at the supermarket”.
“When you’re looking for players for PSG, you have to pay attention to everything, to the people, to the agents,” Enrique explained. “We have a team, we showed that last year. It’s not easy to find players who fit our style of play. I wouldn’t want to change anything.”
Including Hakimi, of course.
Consequently, Enrique has opted to look internally for solutions to manage his full-back. Last season, Warren Zaire-Emery and Joao Neves, who has also played in this position for the Portuguese national team, were tested in this role. As has Senny Mayulu in recent weeks. Marquinhos and 16-year-old David Boly, who is knocking on the door of the first team, could also be options.
“If you sign someone, you have to pay a lot of money for a substitute who will play three matches, be demotivated and will be no better than Hakimi,” the Parisian coach recently explained.
A conscious choice, then, but above all a carefully considered one, as both Enrique and PSG were always aware that they would have to cope without Hakimi for several weeks, as the Morocco captain will be competing in the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil this winter (21st December – 18th December).
All this should make an already particularly intense season even more so. Possibly even more so than the one he is coming off. With 5,306 minutes played in 2024-25 (excluding the Club World Cup), Hakimi was the 10th field player in Europe’s ‘Big 5’ to have spent the most time on the pitch. That total rises to 5,944 minutes if you include the games he played for Morocco between September and June.
This season, with Enrique having already set winning another Champions League title as a major goal of PSG’s campaign, and Morocco among the favourites for the Africa Cup of Nations and the main outsiders for the 2026 World Cup, Hakimi’s physical and mental management will once again be crucial. Perhaps more so than ever before.
