Two PSG heavyweights set for summer exit

PSG’s sporting director Leonardo confirmed the duo’s exit.

PSG are going to look slightly different as stalwarts Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva are both set to leave the club at the end of the season.

According to ESPN, Leonardo Araujo all but confirmed that once the Champions League is over, should it return, the tenures of both players at PSG will come to an end.

"“The idea is to continue playing with them until August,” Leonardo said.“It was a very difficult decision to make; these are players who have marked the history of the club …Their stories were so beautiful. But yes, we are coming to the end.”Source: ESPN"

He went on to cite financial reasons and the next generation of players coming up as to why he felt the time was right to move on.

Cavani joined the club back in the 2013-14 season after spending three seasons in Napoli. He won the Ligue 1 title in six of those seven seasons and became the club’s all-time top scorer in the process.

The Uruguayan striker had previously expressed his desire to leave the club and had been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid during the winter transfer window.

His time at PSG became a bit tenuous once Neymar arrived with the Brazilian looking to make the team his and getting into public spats with Cavani on the pitch. Once they inked a deal for Mauro Icardi, his fate was all but sealed.

While the supporters have yet to fully warm to Neymar, the same can’t be said for Cavani as he is a fan favorite and many will be sad to see him go.

Thiago Silva, on the other hand, arrived in the 2012-13 season from AC Milan in a bit of a surprising move as the likes of Barcelona were also interested in him at the time.

The Brazilian quickly became the anchor in defense that they were looking for. He also became a leader and was crucial in helping towards the adaptation of his fellow Brazilian defender, Marquinhos.

Where he ends up next is anybody’s guess but he has stated that he hopes to continue his career in Europe. There has been interest from Italy and the Premier League. If neither option becomes viable, he could decide to finish out his career in Brazil.

Time eventually catches up to everyone and Cavani and Silva were no exceptions. While they won Ligue 1 and cup titles, one of their regrets might be not getting PSG over the hump in the Champions League.

Regardless, considering the amount of time they spent at the club and what they were able to accomplish both personally and for the team, they will go down in the PSG history books as club legends.