Should PSG buy a new centre-back or should Luis Enrique keep trusting Illia Zabarnyi?

In his first season in the French capitol, Illia Zabarnyi has had tremendous trouble fitting in the backline, and delivered several disastrous performances. The Ukraine international who joined from Bournemouth last summer was supposed to be Marquinhos' successor and partner Willian Pacho in the near future.

Furthermore, he failed to be showcase any signs of improvement over the season and reassure fans that he could become a key player of this team after costing over €70 million. While his future at the club is not in jeopardy, his status could drastically change next season if the club were to sign another centre-back. This could be a very realistic possibility due to Lucas Beraldo's future at the club being uncertain.

Should Zabarnyi keep Luis Enrique's trust next season?

In his most recent outing, Zabarnyi saw his country being eliminated of the World Cup qualifying play-offs after a 3-1 loss to Sweden. In a game where the 24-year-old struggled to contain Viktor Gyokeres. This kind of performance has unfortunately become quite typical of Illia Zabarnyi this season since he joined PSG.

He has already delivered several worrying performances, with the most memorable being the 7-2 victory of his side against Leverkusen in the Champions League group phase, a game that saw him cost two penalties to his side, before receving a red card in the first 20 minutes of the game.

He was expected to be the natural replacement of the aging Marquinhos, with this season being a transition year before his takeover next season. However, his performances have mostly served to prove that the club still needs Marquinhos next to Pacho in the heart of Paris' backline.

Furthermore, it now seems unlikely for him to turn things around at this stage of the season, the Ukraine international has had plenty of minutes on the pitch, playing 2,135 minutes over 29 games. He has not managed to have memorable game yet and all of this could be worrying.

However, it is important to remember that it remains Zabarnyi's first season at a big club, it should have been expected for him to take time to adapt to his new environment on and off the pitch, even though, it appears to take longer than expected.

Overall, Luis Enrique has shown in the past how patient he could be with some players and managed to make them reach their best level, however, PSG fans might not be as patient as the Spaniard.