Paris Saint-Germain have a new manager. Christophe Galtier, after just spending one season at OGC Nice, has replaced Mauricio Pochettino as the manager of the French champions. Galtier is also the man who guided Lille to their title in the 2020/21 season, beating PSG. The first signing of Galtier’s tenure (if you exclude Nuno Mendes who joined last season on loan) was midfielder Vitinha from FC Porto. PSG beat competition from several European clubs, including Manchester United, the 22-year-old attacking midfielder.

The below visualization shows how Vitinha performed in the recently concluded Primeira Liga.

Vitinha spent the 20/21 season on loan at Premier League Wolves. However, that move did not go to plan as the midfielder made only 19 league appearances, spending a lot of time on the bench. He returned to Porto at the end of his loan spell and spent the 21/22 season in Portugal.

The midfielder made 30 appearances, scoring twice and assisting three times in the league. Vitinha played usually on the left side of the midfield in a 4-4-2 — the same system that Galtier deployed when he was at Nice and Lille. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Vitinha deployed in the exact same position as he was in FC Porto.

Vitinha is strong and creative on the ball. He ranked 86th percentile for key passes per 90 minutes among midfielders in the Primeira Liga last season, while he also ranked top tier for passes per 90 minutes. Furthermore, he makes runs towards the goal quite frequently, ranking 97th percentile for progressive runs per 90 minutes. Vitinha is also an above-average dribbler. On the defensive side, Vitinha is not a strong tackler, and that is an aspect he needs to improve upon.

PSG might have made a smart signing in Vitinha — he is young, energetic and has all the capabilities to be a modern-day midfielder. However, the step up from Porto to PSG is huge and there will definitely be expectations on his shoulders, especially on big Champions League nights. It will be interesting to see how Vitinha develops under Galtier in the French capital.