Carlos Soler, a 28-year-old midfielder who arrived at Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2022 from Valencia with a contract until 2027, failed to impress on the pitch and was loaned to West Ham for the 2024-2025 season. He returned to Paris, with a solution to be found for his future. It should be at Real Sociedad. According to journalists Abdellah Boulma and Fabrizio Romano, a permanent transfer is agreed. It should be for around €8 million, and other media have mentioned a 50% stake in a possible resale.
Abdellah Boulma:
It’s Carlos Soler’s turn to leave PSG to join Real Sociedad in a permanent transfer (~€8 million)
Fabrizio Romano:
The structure of this transfer clearly illustrates Paris Saint-Germain’s pragmatic strategy. Rather than selling Carlos Soler off permanently, the Parisian club has opted for a hybrid solution: “getting rid” of his salary, which is considered high, while retaining 50% of his rights. In other words, Real Sociedad immediately benefits from the player and assumes his entire salary costs, while PSG keeps an eye on the future, hoping to recoup a share upon a subsequent sale.
This is a relatively rare deal in European football, more common in South America, where economic rights are sometimes shared. For Paris, it looks like a smart management move: reducing the wage bill, streamlining Luis Enrique’s squad, and keeping the door open for a possible future valuation.