As Lionel Messi leaves PSG, an opportunity arises for Luis Campos

N either of PSG’s two most recent marquee signings has worked out as hoped. Both could even be classed as outright mistakes in hindsight. However, as one’s Parisian journey looks set to end in acrimony, the other may yet deserve a second chance. As PSG beat Ajaccio 5-0 on Saturday to move within one win of another underwhelming league title, hopes of revolution again returned to the Parc des Princes.

Luis Campos arrived at PSG last summer as the most astute scout in football, but his ability to help medium-sized clubs overperform with cost-effective recruitment has been wasted in Paris. PSG operate in an entirely different market to Campos’ previous clubs and many of their ills this year can be traced back to his baffling appointment of Christophe Galtier as coach and the thin squad they landed on due to his weak transfer business.

Campos’ arrival promised to end “bling-bling” – the shallow glamour and jarring largesse of the last decade under Qatari ownership – but little has changed and his position has been under threat of late. However, circumstances could yet work in his favour.

Signed two seasons ago in perhaps the highest-profile transfer of them all, Lionel Messi’s stay in the capital all but ended last week. Banned by the club for an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, whose clubs now court the Argentinian, Messi posted a surreal apology on social media. With Barcelona also circling and Messi being booed by fans at the weekend – even though the club’s ultras were “on strike” in protest against QSI’s running of the club – his relationship with PSG seems irredeemable.

Messi’s sojourn in Paris is coming to an end in failure, with just three far from bling-bling games remaining before the end of his contract. He