When Paris Saint-Germain resume training on Friday, one of the first orders of business for coach Laurent Blanc and the capital club’s hierarchy is to decide the futures of Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani.

Both players missed the French champions’ recent Qatar Winter Tour in Marrakech, Morocco, as reported by Goal.com’s Joe Wright. The same article claims that Blanc admitted after the 1-0 friendly win over Inter Milan that he is expecting “explanations” from both players before that decision is taken.

Lavezzi and Cavani were included in PSG’s original squad for their North African sojourn, per PSG.fr, with both players listed as due to arrive one day after the majority of their teammates because of the fact that they would have been travelling from their native South America.

While the seven other South American-based players successfully arrived for the training camp, Lavezzi and Cavani did not join the group.

Little light has been shed on why El Matador was not present, but reports from his home country suggest that it was weather related and that the player also had authorisation from the French champions to extend his stay in Uruguay.

That would make Blanc’s comments after the Inter Milan match confusing, but Lavezzi’s situation is not as complex.

El Pocho was photographed by numerous publications on holiday in Uruguay’s Punta del Este, per Metronews.fr (in French), with the French club under the impression that he was taking care of family issues.

Barcelona pushed to profit from the breakdown in the Argentinian international’s relationship with PSG according to gianlucadimarzio.com. However, the Spanish giants’ transfer ban now prohibits them from making any move for Les Parisiens’ No. 22.

Inter are still keen on him after gianlucadimarzio.com also reported an opening enquiry from the Italians, but the same report claims that the defending French titleholders now want to repair their damaged relationship with the 29-year-old and keep him until the end of the season.

This would be a big mistake from PSG.

Lavezzi is an immensely popular figure in Paris, as he is wherever he has played it seems, but the time has come for the Qatari-owned club to cut the player loose. Although his behaviour may well have been greeted with amusement by many fans, it is a serious affront to his employers and a clear sign that he no longer intends to give everything for the cause under coach Blanc.

There appears to be a problem with the attitude within the PSG squad at present, with Lavezzi seemingly one of the main offenders. However, the reasons for selling the South American go deeper than that for Les Parisiens.

Lavezzi is an average player. As far as value for money goes, the former SSC Napoli man has delivered among the smallest of returns out of all of the French capital outfit’s major transfer deals since Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) took over in 2011.

Now in his third season at Parc des Princes, 21 goals and nine assists in 74 appearances across all competitions is not good enough for an attacking player who cost an estimated €30 million in 2012 per ESPN FC.

Those familiar with PSG might question this based on his form in the second half of the 2013-14 season, when he scored 10 times in all competitions, but that rich vein of form and a decent FIFA World Cup campaign in Brazil papered over the cracks.

Without that glut of goals, Lavezzi would be a contender for being the club’s biggest waste of money in the Qatari era.

The Argentine is fast and works hard, but that is about it. He is far from clinical in front of goal and provides less assists than the likes of Lucas Moura, who he was previously in competition with for a place in the team until the start of this campaign.

His speed alone has never been enough for Blanc’s three-pronged attack and the player was thought to be on his way out before that impressive turnaround in form at the start of 2014. However, the reality is that Lavezzi is still one of PSG’s five best-paid players and represents a serious misallocation of resources.

What he gives the club on the pitch is simply not worth the money the club pay him off it.

That there are clubs still keen to take Lavezzi off their hands is a massive boost for the Ligue 1 side and one that they must take advantage of this month. With UEFA’s Financial Fair Play sanctions still hanging over their heads until at least the summer, allowing the Argentine to depart would be the first step towards an end-of-season reshuffle in the capital.

Any fee received for Lavezzi may well not be enough to bring in an immediate replacement, but the major concern is that this current interest in the South American does not last until the summer. PSG also have a more than adequate alternative to the player in Jean-Christophe Bahebeck who has earned the right to play ahead of El Pocho.

If it gets to the end of the season and nobody wants Lavezzi anymore, then PSG will be lumbered with an expensive, limited player who clearly does not want to play for the team any longer. His contract will also still have 12 months to run.

Now that Lavezzi has publicly embarrassed the club with his recent behaviour, there should be no way back for him. Trying to mend bridges after such actions would be a massive sign of weakness in the Parisien leadership.

If PSG do receive a firm bid for him this month, one that would allow them to get his sizeable wages off the books, then it is a no-brainer.

 

*Lavezzi‘s PSG career statistics are via whoscored.com.

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