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Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of French goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier from Lille for a reported fee of €40 million ($46.6m), with the 23-year-old penning a contract until 2030.
“Paris Saint-Germain are delighted to welcome Lucas Chevalier into our family,” club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said in a statement on PSG’s official website. “He is one of the most talented goalkeepers of his generation, and we are excited about what he can bring to the team.”
Chevalier, who has been included in several France senior squads but is yet to make his international debut, described the move as a dream come true. “I’m a kid who is living his dream,” he said.
The Lille academy graduate enjoyed a breakout campaign last season, playing a key role in his side’s run to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League. His standout performances included a clean sheet in a 1-0 home win over Real Madrid and an inspired display in Lille’s 3-1 triumph away to Atletico Madrid.
PSG head into the new campaign on the back of a historic treble, having won the Champions League, Ligue 1 and Coupe de France with Italian international Gianluigi Donnarumma as first-choice goalkeeper.
Despite also having Russian Matvey Safonov and Spaniard Arnau Tenas in the squad, sources close to the club say sporting director Luis Campos has assured Chevalier he will be given the opportunity to establish himself as the new No.1.
The signing follows PSG’s earlier capture of Italian-Brazilian teenage goalkeeper Renato Marin this summer, suggesting the club is building depth and long-term options in the position.
Chevalier is expected to be available for selection as early as Wednesday, when PSG face Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA European Super Cup in Udine, Italy.
The fixture will provide him with a potential debut on the continental stage in a high-profile clash.