AI has backed Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi as a long-term replacement for Marquinhos at PSG. Grok named the 19-year-old as the ideal option.
Artificial intelligence has backed Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí to join PSG in a blockbuster move.
Luis Enrique’s PSG currently has two starting center backs, Marquinhos and William Pacho. The Ecuadorian has recently arrived in Paris, and at 24, he still has many years of good soccer ahead of him.
Marquinhos, on the other hand, has been at the Parisian club for 13 years, having arrived from Roma in 2013, and he is now 32 years old. Although Marquinhos is not old for his age, he is a veteran player and, most likely, has fewer years left at the highest level than Pacho.
To replace Marquinhos from time to time, PSG signed Ukrainian defender Ilya Zabarnyi from Bournemouth, but Zabarnyi has left much to be desired.
French outlet Le10Sport consulted AI, specifically Grok, about what type of player could replace Marquinhos in the long term, and the AI responded that Cubarsí would be the ideal option.
Cubarsí, 19, has become a superstar with Barcelona and the Spanish national team over the last two years. The Catalan club’s academy graduate is currently Hansi Flick’s starting center-back, usually playing alongside Andreas Christensen in a back four. He also sometimes shares the pitch with Gerard Martín.
And let’s be clear. AI can say anything, and that doesn't mean it's relevant or likely to happen. However, it is worth keeping in mind that head coach Luis Enrique has already spoken very positively about Cubarsí on previous occasions.
In fact, in 2024, he told Movistar that he had known Cubarsí for a long time thanks to a close friend who keeps him informed about Barcelona’s young talents.
“I have been seeing Cubarsí play for many years, and they have already told me he’s a wonderful central defender,” Enrique said back then.
Logically, the main problem with imagining Cubarsí arriving in the French capital would be potential negotiations with Barcelona, as the 19-year-old center back has a contract with the Catalan club valid until 2029.
According to Capology, a website specializing in athletes’ salaries, Cubarsí has a contract with Barcelona that pays him around €5 million gross, with around €2.4 million net per year. He would also have a release clause of €500 million, a sum that would be unaffordable for any team.
However, Barcelona also has some financial situations to resolve, and a significant offer that perhaps exceeds €150 million could make them hesitate and consider selling one of their biggest talents.
Spanish media also reported that PSG once offered €200 million for Lamine Yamal, even before he became the year-after-year Ballon d’Or contender he is today, and Barcelona rejected the offer.
Given this stance, it's also logical to imagine that the Catalan club wouldn't be willing to sell Cubarsí, another generational talent from their academy, for a stratospheric amount of money.
Therefore, PSG will have to continue working on identifying market opportunities to sign a player with a lot of potential, yes, but who perhaps does not yet have that superstar status, as they already did by signing players such as Mika Godts and Magnhes Akliouche. These are players who arrive with a reputation as young prospects with a lot of potential, but who do not yet have superstar status.
Le10Sport also shared that the AI suggested other players PSG could sign as potential successors to Marquinhos, including Joel Ordóñez of Club Brugge, who is also Pacho’s compatriot, and Nathan Ngoy, a 23-year-old center back from LOSC Lille.
