Sergio Ramos has been branded as a “failed bet” by Paris Saint-Germain amid suggestions that his season is already over.
The talismanic central defender joined Les Parisiens last summer as a free agent after ending his 16-year association with Real Madrid, whom he became an emblematic captain.
Yet things have gone wrong for Ramos since making the switch with suggestions that the French club could even go as far as terminating the player’s contract.
Ramos has been riddled with injury problems all season in the French capital, limiting him to just five first-team appearances for the club and only three starts.
The veteran defender has not been in a matchday squad for Mauricio Pochettino’s squad in the past month and there are fears he may not feature again this campaign.
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Ramos played just four times for Real Madrid in 2021 in the six months prior to his exit, meaning he has not yet his double figures in first-team appearances since the end of 2020.
His signing by PSG has now come under strong criticism as even though the club did not pay a transfer fee for the player, his wages, bonuses, signing on fee and bonus fees are likely to have been hefty.
Alain Roche – who made over 200 appearances for the club between 1992 and 1998 – has now claimed that his signing was a failed bet by PSG.
Roche told Canal+: "He hasn't played any important games, not even one in the Champions League.
"It is sad. We were happy to have him with us, but it's a failed bet.
"Now we have to believe in miracles. For me, his season is over."
The Spaniard was far from the only player to join PSG, where goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, alongside Lionel Messi were among the arrivals in a busy summer.
Yet of all the arrivals at the Parc des Princes, it is Ramos who has played the smallest role and whose future now faces the most questions.
The talismanic defender won an astonishing 22 trophies during his time at Los Blancos including five La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies, scoring a remarkable 101 goals in that timeframe.
His contract expired this summer with a drawn-out saga between club and player, as a protracted game of chess was played out in the media with Ramos refusing to give in to a one-year contract on reduced terms.
The Spaniard penned a two-year contract at PSG after leaving Madrid and missing out on the European Championships, while virtually having to spend the entire season so far as a frustrated spectator.
Ramos has continued to defy critics and show his relentless mentality over his career but if he can bounce back to re-appear for club and country, it may be his greatest achievement yet.
