Morocco’s football legend Achraf Hakimi, the current best right-back in the world, has proven himself as one of the most talented in this position in recent years. His career at both Dortmund and Inter Milan was a resounding success. However, since joining Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), bare the first three months, his career progression has hit a wall.
Frankfurt, Germany- Hakimi’s career so far has been a remarkable success, especially during his stints at Dortmund and Inter Milan, where he followed a perfect learning curve. On the field, he displayed outstanding skills and established himself as one of the world’s elite right-backs, always joining players like Trent Alexander-Arnold in the conversation for the accolade of “the best right back in the world.”
Hakimi is a versatile player, and his abilities were recognized early on during his time at PSG. Thierry Henry himself praised him on an Amazon Prime in a post-match interview, describing him as a player who is “everywhere.”
“Hakimi, I don’t know what he eats, but I would love to eat that as well,” Henry stressed.
Another time, on the same platform, Henry noted, “He is everywhere, he is PSG’s right back, wide midfielder, and right-wing at the same time, it is like if you are playing with 2 extra players at the same time on the pitch.”
However, that did last long as his career stagnated. The signing of Lionel Messi has had an impact on the team’s style of play, and Hakimi is not getting the ball as much as he used to. He has struggled to make an impact on the team, and his level of play has dropped. Since the arrival of Messi, Hakimi has been pushed aside, mostly for tactical reasons. When the Neymar-Messi-Mbappe trio is playing, he almost never gets the ball in the last third of the pitch.
Nevertheless, one area where Hakimi has excelled is with the Moroccan national team. He has consistently played at a high level and has been a vital player for the team. It’s like he’s a different player when he’s with Atlas Lions. He was virtually unplayable in the last Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, where he helped lead Morocco reach the quarterfinals, and despite playing through injury in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Hakimi showed incredible consistency and played a key role in Morocco’s history-making run to the semis of the tournament.
With the Atlas Lions, Hakimi had shown great potential to shoot free kicks, which he demonstrated by scoring jaw-dropping goals during the last African Cup of Nations. However, with the presence of Messi and Neymar in PSG, he was not given the opportunity to take them, which hindered his development in this area. If he were in another team, Hakimi would have had more opportunities to showcase this skillset and further develop it. This can be a boon for the Moroccan national team, as his free-kick-taking abilities can be a key to unlocking African teams that tend to sit back and defend.
At present, Hakimi is struggling with personal issues that are adversely affecting his mental state, making him appear lost on the pitch at times. Not only is he dealing with the widely publicized divorce from Hiba Abouk, but he is also facing allegations of rape. These kinds of situations can take a severe toll on anyone’s mental health, let alone someone with such a renowned profile.
Given his current situation, it might be time for Hakimi to consider a career move. He needs a new challenge, a fresh start that will allow him to play at his best again. He has the potential to be the all-time best right-back player of all time. A move to a club where he can hone his skills and develop further is the way to achieve this.
Of course, leaving PSG may not be easy, given his close friendship with Kylian Mbappé, who he considers his brother. But, making a difficult decision is crucial for one’s career progression, if he is “still hungry”, as national coach Walid Regraguis stated.
Leaving PSG is a must if he desires to write his name in gold as the all-time best right-back in football history.
With his talent, he should have no problem finding a club that can offer him that.
