Who Are The Best PSG Goalkeepers Ever?
When you think of Paris Saint-Germain, you don’t necessarily think of the best PSG goalkeepers. Naturally, your imagination heads to the other end of the pitch.
Paris Saint Germain don’t have the longest history in French football. Founded in 1970, Les Parisiens are newbies by the standards of the European game.
Although now recognised as one of the biggest clubs in the world, the club from the capital haven’t always been on such a standing. Still, the PSG best goalkeeper ever debate is a heated one, with an array of elite shot stoppers playing for Les Rouge-et-Bleu.
We’ve compiled a list of the best PSG goalkeepers of all-time, featuring World Cup winners, award winners and homegrown heroes.
Joël Bats
Joining the club in the summer of 1985, Joël Bats immediately became PSG’s first choice goalkeeper, a role he maintained throughout his seven seasons in the capital.
Already a French international when he arrived at PSG, Bats enjoyed a glorious first campaign with Les Parisiens, winning the club’s first ever Division 1 title.
Bats was a star for club and country. He famously saved a penalty from Zico at the 1986 World Cup and played in 286 matches for PSG before announcing his retirement at the end of the 1991-12 campaign.
Keylor Navas
Keylor Navas enjoyed just two seasons as PSG’s number one. Gianluigi Donnarumma’s arrival in 2021 saw the Costa Rican shunted into a backup role, though there’s no questioning his place among PSG’s greatest ever goalkeepers.
Arriving at the club with immense experience for Costa Rica and Real Madrid, Navas was instantly one of the top ‘keepers in Ligue 1. He earned 2020-21 Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year and starred as PSG made it to the 2019-20 Champions League final.
It’s unclear how much of Navas’ PSG story is yet to be told. However it ends, he’s cemented in the club’s history.
Bernard Lama
Owner of the record for most clean sheets by a PSG goalkeeper in a season with 28, Bernard Lama spent the majority of his career with Les Rouge-et-Bleu. Signed to replace the incomparable Joël Bats, Lama managed to live up to the lofty expectations.
Lama won a Ligue 1 title in 1993, lifted the Coupe de France on two occasions and was a member of France’s successful squads at the 1998 World Cup and 2000 Euros.
Injuries and a ban for cannabis led to his demise at PSG and a brief stint at West Ham, though he returned for a couple of seasons and finished with the most club appearances by a goalkeeper.
Alphonse Areola
Born in Paris, Alphonse Areola’s journey to the first team represented a dream come true. It wasn’t without its troubles, though, with the talented shot stopper having to prove himself with numerous loans along the way.
Areola is currently on his sixth loan from the club. Despite spending so much time away from the club, the Frenchman has managed to rack up 107 appearances, the majority of which came between 2016 and 2019.
Salvatore Sirigu
Only three goalkeepers can better Salvatore Sirigu’s tally of 190 PSG appearances. Sirigu arrived from Palermo for the early years of investment in Les Parisiens, and although initially expected to be a backup, he started every Ligue 1 match in his debut season with the club.
Sirigu remained first choice until 2015-16. He was twice named Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year in that span, and was the starter as PSG won three league titles.
Kevin Trapp’s signing in 2015 ended his tenure between the sticks, resulting in loans to Sevilla and Osasuna in 2016-17 before a permanent transfer to Torino.
Lionel Létizi
With 196 appearances for the club, we cannot overlook Lionel Létizi when pondering the PSG best goalkeeper ever.
It was a different era for the club, a period when European qualification constituted a successful season and domestic cups were their best route to silverware. Létizi won the French Cup on two occasions during his spell as first choice.
Mickaël Landreau
Mickaël Landreau spent the first decade of his career with Nantes, recording almost 400 appearances for La Maison Jaune. A free transfer to PSG in 2006 was too good an opportunity to turn down, though, with Landreau believing it could help earn him a France call-up.
Starting every league match across his three years with the club, Landreau’s durability helped him become a fan favourite in the capital. He retired as the the all-time leader in Ligue 1 appearances, a record he holds to this day.
Kevin Trapp
Signed as an upgrade on Salvatore Sirigu, Kevin Trapp’s PSG career was symbolic of a team in a cycle of spending. The turnover of the PSG squad was reflected in their goalkeeping decisions throughout the 2010s. Trapp was first choice for just two seasons, leading to a loan back to Eintracht Frankfurt for 2018-19.
The German didn’t reach the heights of Keylor Navas, but he made 91 appearances for the club and collected six major medals. If in France doubted his quality, he quickly proved them wrong by making the Bundesliga Team of the Season in 2018-19.
Current PSG goalkeepers
PSG have the best goalkeeping depth in the world right now. If you’re selected to represent the latest PSG kits, chances are you need to be a world class shot stopper.
Gianluigi Donnarumma was acquired in the summer of 2021 fresh off a spectacular European Championships with Italy. Keylor Navas was already at the club and remains one of the 10 best goalkeepers on the planet.
Sergio Rico, who has been capped by Spain and twice won the Europe League with Sevilla, is PSG’s third choice as it stands. Rico’s €6 million transfer to Les Parisiens was only confirmed in September 2020, just a few months before Donnarumma arrived.
Alphonse Areola is still on the club’s books too, though he’s spending the 2021-22 season on loan at West Ham.
Former Polish youth international Marcin Bułka is another loanee. The ex-Chelsea goalkeeper is at Nice for this season, with the south-coast club possessing an option to buy.
