Southampton Star Tipped as Perfect Backup Option for PSG’s Achraf Hakimi

In his latest column for Ensemble PSG, Zach Lowy, co-creator of Breaking The Lines, noted that the Parisians should look at Southampton standout Yukinari Sugawara as the ideal backup for Hakimi.

“Confident and comfortable when receiving the ball, Sugawara thrives at bombing forward and making his way into the box before firing a dangerous ball in the box,” Lowy wrote. “He’s a superb playmaker, capable of breaking the lines with his piercing through balls and free kicks, and linking up with his teammates with his impressive associative play.

“A speedy wingback, Sugawara remains focused and holds his own in 1v1 duels, always remaining close to his man and preventing him from getting too much separation. Similarly to the 24-year-old Vanderson, he is approaching the prime of his career at 25, and it’s likely he’d prefer a year in the Champions League and Ligue 1 than scraping it out in England’s second tier.”

The 25-year-old made 32 appearances for the English club last season, recording one goal and one assist. Nonetheless, with Southampton in the Championship, perhaps the Japanese player would welcome a return to first-tier football.