Luis Enrique Nears Paris Saint-Germain Job. It Would Be Exciting.

Former Spain and Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is reportedly closing in on a move to Paris Saint-Germain, with talks between the coach and the Ligue 1 soccer giant in the final stages, according to the French publication L’Equipe.

The Spaniard has been without a managerial position since being sacked from the Spanish national team role after an underwhelming World Cup campaign in Qatar last November and December. After negotiations with German boss Julian Nagelsmann came to nothing, PSG decided to prioritize the charismatic 53-year-old, whom it considers a tight fit for the role and the right man to follow Christophe Galtier in the job.

It didn’t quite work out for Enrique during his three-year run with Spain. His squad exited the most recent World Cup after losing out to Morocco in the last 16, which came after a promising European Championships a year before when his charges narrowly lost out to eventual prizewinner Italy in the semifinal. Despite not achieving glory, some players have credited the manager for laying down strong foundations following Spain’s recent triumph in the UEFA Nations League final against Italy.

In the club game, his pedigree is undoubted. As the Barcelona coach, he oversaw a star-studded ensemble and steered it towards a Champions League title, alongside two consecutive La Liga accolades and three domestic Copa del Reys. That team comprised three superstars in attack: Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Neymar—who combined well under his watch.

Getting the best from a luxury lineup in Catalunya puts him in good stead for PSG, which has high-end stars aplenty. Despite its jewel Lionel Messi choosing a move to Inter Miami in MLS, it still has Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, at least for now. Regarding upcoming recruits, Slovakian defender Milan Škriniar and Uruguayan combative midfielder Manuel Ugarte will soon integrate.

Enrique will be the central character, however. PSG has benefitted from Qatari financial backing for over a decade but is yet to win a Champions League to build on its dominance in France most seasons. Luckily for PSG fans, Enrique could be the tonic it needs. He’s been an Ironman athlete, a Twitch streamer, and an engaging—sometimes eccentric—personality at press conferences. He’s not your standard appointment, and that partly explains his appeal as the capital club aims to reach unchartered heights.

Whether or not his track record and profile are enough to bring real success remains questionable, though. PSG has a way; it provides the funds and glamorous athletes but also swallows up its coaches, cast with the rest as underachievers with each deflating trip-up in European competition. Enrique himself may not be enough to break such a cycle.

But, with the theater on the field to match his in the dugout, he will be a show worth watching, perhaps more than any other coach in PSG’s Qatari-led era—in which Enrique would be the eighth to take the reins. It has to find the right match sooner rather than later.