Manuel Pellegrini smiles at him good time from Paul Akouokou, the five that had to be invented this summer to solve the impossibility to go to transfer market. The Ivorian player played in the Verdiblanco subsidiary after passing through Finland and Israel, now conquer the compliments from your technician for his incisive version against Barcelona and fight the ownership to Guido Rodríguez, relegated to a secondary plane between penalties and injuries in the last month. There came the definitive test for Paul, who convinced Pellegrini.
Before him Barcelona he was again chosen for act on the pivot and he did not disappoint, although his figure was minimized in the second half when the Barça team raised his level with Messi and Pedri over the field. But Paul has already left his mark and in Heliópolis they dream of the confirmation of a closing midfielder that bury the shadows of the past in this position. His first time against Busquets and Pjanic throw their figure to the fore while Pellegrini takes a breath to face the decisive stretch of the season.
LaLiga Santander
* Data updated as of February 8, 2021
Paul became emergency trick in the anteroom of league boot because in Heliopolis there was no money to go to the transfer market to protect a position in which it was only Guido Rodríguez. Pellegrini knew that William Carvalho would have a different role on the field and opted for the Ivorian coast: the club renewed its contract and gave the jump to the first team almost unexpectedly. After several notable performances as a starter, the club rubs their hands at his hypothetical qualitative leap after being a firm bet when he reached the green-and-white quarry after passing through Finland, Israel and even try in the Angers of the French league. After the first section of the course, his fight with Guido to occupy that closure of the center of the field is a reality. And the Betis is he most benefited of this new unexpected irruption.