Paris Saint-Germain summer signing Lucas Chevalier is aware of the demands and the subsequent criticism at his new club if he fails to meet the expectations. The former Lille goalkeeper, who replaced Gianluigi Donnarumma in a team that lifted the Champions League last season, admitted that any player who underperforms at Paris Saint-Germain gets "put six feet under."
Chevalier signed as Donnarumma exits PSG
PSG made a shock move for Chevalier over the summer, signing him from Lille for a €40 million (£34m/$47m) fee. This came after reports during the summer claimed that PSG had informed Donnarumma that he would no longer remain the first-choice goalkeeper, with head coach Luis Enrique wanting to sign a new goalkeeper that fit the requirements of his system. Eventually, Donnarumma departed Parc des Princes and joined Manchester City in the Premier League.
AdvertisementAFPChevalier's first few months at PSG haven't been spotless
Chevalier has started the 2025–26 season as Luis Enrique’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper, but his performances have at times fallen short of expectations. The former Lille star has shown moments of lapses in concentration and made questionable decisions, underscoring the need for further experience to thrive at a club of PSG’s stature.
That vulnerability was on full display at the Stade Velodrome in the 1-0 loss to Marseille in September, when Chevalier failed to deal with a cross from the right, allowing Nayef Aguerd to rise unchallenged and score with a commanding header. The goalkeeper was neither close to the ball nor in control, his right arm flailing and his back turned. The early strike immediately put PSG on the back foot, handing Marseille the chance to dictate the tempo of the match.
Chevalier’s struggles have not been limited to that encounter. In PSG’s 3–3 draw against Strasbourg, he was again culpable for costly errors, leaving the team exposed at critical moments. His performance drew scathing criticism from former France goalkeeper Lionel Charbonnier.
"He's not doing enough. He didn't do the job. In the first goal, at first I thought it was a complicated header and after analysing it, he was moving backwards. He shouldn't be moving backwards, he should be moving forwards," the 1998 World Cup-winning keeper told after the defeat to Roberto De Zerbi's side.
"He's leaning back, so he's jumping backwards and that's unacceptable. "On the second goal, he tried to stretch his leg out, his studs got caught in the turf. For me, for the moment, the suit is too big for Chevalier. You put it with his performances at Lille, he doesn't concede the two goals. He's very small. When you look at him, you get the impression that the goal is huge. He doesn't have the charisma at the moment. But he will grow, we have to give him time."
Chevalier learning to deal with the demands at PSG
Speaking to , Chevalier explained that he's slowly starting to adjust to life at PSG. "Everything is scrutinised, you can't afford to make a mistake, you have to be good right away," he said. "Honestly, they look for the little things… Good is normal. Not-so-good isn't. But ultimately, it's good to have that from the start. I think that when you're very good here, you're really put on a pedestal, more so than at Lille. But if you're not good, you're put six feet under.
"I'm feeling better and better. My arrival really accelerated in the last few days, and we immediately started preparing for the European Super Cup against Tottenham. So, the first few months, at least the first month and a half, there was a bit of discomfort. I was still staying in a hotel. And I'm quite a creature of habit, quite methodical, and at that point, it was a bit of a free-for-all. At the very beginning, it wasn't easy in general. But now, I'm starting to get into a routine, whether it's at the club, how I train, or outside of it."
AFPLuis Enrique has complete faith in Chevalier
Ahead of PSG's clash against Bayer Leverkusen last month, Luis Enrique leapt to Chevalier's defence. He said: "It's the same every year, I'm very happy with your feelings. I'm very happy with Lucas Chevalier! For me he's one of the best options or THE best option. I'm very happy with his performances. And when we recruit a player, we think over a long period of time.
"And what I can say about Lucas Chevalier is that I like his personality, his level as player. We are very confident that he will be very important to the team for many years to come. That is the confidence we have in our player, and especially for me, when I see Lucas Chevalier's performance during these matches, I see what I want to see. And for me, that is enough."
Luis Enrique also voiced his disapproval of the media’s treatment of both Chevalier and Donnarumma. The PSG manager acknowledged that Donnarumma had faced considerable media criticism during his time at the club but conceded that such scrutiny is an inevitable aspect of playing for a club of Les Parisiens' stature.
"He has personality, he showed it and he still shows it in training and in matches. What I like… I think you don't remember for how many years you criticized Gigio Donnarumma. I remember perfectly!" he added. "The last four years, you killed him. You killed Gigio Donnarumma sportingly. So please… even when I wasn't the coach of Paris Saint-Germain. I felt all the time that you criticised Gigio Donnarumma. When you are a goalkeeper of a club like Paris Saint-Germain, you have to learn to live with that."