Chevalier Wants Out of PSG: L'Equipe Drops Bombshell

Paris Saint-Germain, just one day after lifting their second consecutive Champions League trophy, finds itself dealing with a delicate goalkeeper file. According to L'Equipe, Lucas Chevalier has informed the club's management that he wants to leave during the summer transfer window. The 24-year-old French international keeper was named Ligue 1's best goalkeeper at the UNFP awards last season and was also nominated for the Yashin Trophy; but his first season at the Parc des Princes fell far below expectations.

The story's beginning dates back to last summer. PSG, which kept Gianluigi Donnarumma (now at Manchester City) first as backup and then refused to keep him even as backup, signed Chevalier from Lille for €40 million upfront plus €15 million in bonuses, totalling €55 million. A five-year deal was signed, and the keeper was planned to take the throne of France's new No. 1, succeeding Mike Maignan. Luis Campos, while transferring the Frenchman, had given him the assurance "you will be PSG's No. 1." However, Luis Enrique did not quite share the same assurance: the Spanish manager had felt no real need to keep Matvey Safonov (the Russian keeper who came last season as backup) deep on the bench.

In autumn, Chevalier produced unconvincing performances in several matches. In December 2025, Luis Enrique made his decision: Safonov moved to the starting XI, Chevalier was demoted to the bench. Since that day, the Russian keeper has not given up his spot. Against Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16, against Aston Villa in the quarter-finals, against Bayern Munich in the semis, against Arsenal in the final — the keeper who saved Gabriel's penalty with his fingertips at Puskás Aréna on Saturday night was that same Safonov. That historic save essentially closed the Frenchman's hopes as well.

Chevalier's request, conveyed directly to management without holding a press conference, reached the public through L'Equipe's report: the 24-year-old keeper is not willing to accept a backup role. France national team manager Didier Deschamps's failure to call him up for the 2026 World Cup squad — an announcement from a few weeks ago — was the final blow. Chevalier knows very well that if he wants to continue his battle for the No. 1 spot against Maignan, he must play regularly; it has become clear that this won't happen at the Parc des Princes.

The same voice is coming from the PSG side. The same L'Equipe report wrote that Luis Campos is open to a permanent transfer. The financial picture is, however, difficult: a fee of around €27 million is being talked about for a keeper in whom around €44 million was invested just a year ago. This means PSG would write off about €16 million in net loss in just one year. The Yellow-and-Red administration's stance is clear: according to PSG Inside Actu, Campos has also started hunting for a new keeper; he is trying to add to 20-year-old Renato Marin (brought from Roma) another young keeper aged 18 — likely Spanish.

For Chevalier, the clubs lining up at the door are not few. According to March reports, Tottenham is preparing an offer should they return to the Premier League. In recent weeks, two more clubs from Ligue 1 have emerged: AS Monaco and Stade Rennais are both interested in the Frenchman's signature. Monaco is looking for its goalkeeper of the future; Rennes is evaluating Chevalier as part of its rebuilding strategy. From the Premier League beyond Tottenham, interest continues, but Spurs's European position will be decisive for Chevalier.

Chevalier's 2025-26 statistics weren't a failure on their own: 28 goals conceded in 26 matches, with 10 clean sheets. The problem was more psychological than statistical — the weight of a big transfer fee, the comparisons after Donnarumma, and Safonov's rise. Now Chevalier is looking for a fresh start, while PSG is quickly setting up a Plan B. The real question is this: where will a goalkeeper, after spending just one year at one of the world's biggest clubs, rebuild his career?

Source: L'Equipe

🖼️ Image: Lucas Chevalier in PSG colours — getfootballnewsfrance.com