Paris Saint-Germain has decided to accelerate on the transfer market, in particular to improve its attacking sector. With the glaring deficiencies observed during the preparation, Luis Enrique obtained the expected reinforcements. Gonçalo Ramos is part of this desire to bring new blood to the Parisian attack line.
The Portuguese international has signed up with the capital club on a loan with a mandatory purchase option. Between Benfica and the Portuguese selection, the 22-year-old striker saw his career change in dimension in a few months.
In search of a pure center-forward for several weeks, the capital club ended up setting its sights on Gonçalo Ramos. The leads to Victor Osimhen and Harry Kane proved too complex. For his part, Rasmus Hojlund favored Manchester United.
However, the player trained at Benfica should not be considered as a simple plan B, according to Alexandre Ribeiro, of the Trivela site, which specializes in Portuguese football. “I don’t know if it will be the ideal number 9, in any case, I have the impression that his profile is missing at PSG, he explains to Point. Unlike a player like Mbappé, he will stay in an axial position and monopolize the attention of the opposing hinge, which can create space for his teammates. His athletic qualities and his taste for effort will not be too much. »
Lethal Gonçalo Ramos ??
After scoring 8 goals in 2021-2022, Gonçalo Ramos passed second last season with 27 in all competitions. “Following the departure of Darwin Nunez to Liverpool, it was he who took this position of 9, explains Alexandre Ribeiro. He truly established himself as the reference at the forefront of the attack last year. He is a fairly skilful player, who has a real goalscoring instinct, often in a good position to score. He has a real ability to finish with a touch, whether it’s with his foot or his head. He is also a player who spends a lot, able to press and go to the duel. “Generous in effort, Gonçalo Ramos wins, for example, half of his aerial duels and tackles much more than the average of European attackers, according to the Fbref site.
However, the 22-year-old striker has some room for improvement. He will not arrive in the capital with the same status as an Ibrahimovic or a Cavani at the start of the decade. “He is a player who, although technically comfortable, remains quite far from the average of Parisian attacking players. He can lack finesse on his first touches, he is not the most comfortable when it comes to eliminating a player in one against one. Gonçalo Ramos doesn’t have a big burst of speed either,” says Alexandre Ribeiro. His poor success in passing, even at short distance, thus illustrates this technical deficiency.
One of the main factors for its adaptation will remain the pressure. But Gonçalo Ramos has proven his ability to cope with changes in status and assume responsibilities. Becoming Benfica’s starting striker was a big first step. His skills have also been confirmed internationally.
With Portugal, he scored a hat-trick for his first start in the World Cup, in the round of 16 against Switzerland. By the way, his panoply of goalscoring was complete: a powerful strike from a tight angle, a deflection at the near post and a dive with finesse. Ramos was to replace a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, idol of a whole country, but less decisive with age.
The last major center forward recruited by the capital club, Mauro Icardi, was an industrial failure. For Gonçalo Ramos, it will be necessary to quickly evacuate this heritage and take its marks, in order to be the new offensive trigger so awaited by the Parc des Princes.
