In an atypical “silly” season, with leagues still to be finished, some young free-agents are shaking the transfer market. This is the case of young Parisians, Tungay Kouassy (18 years old) and Adil Aouchiche (still 17), who have not renewed their ties with PSG, being the most recent names leaving on an extensive list (see separately) of young footballers promising a bright future but without space to fulfill the dream of wearing the jersey of the first team.
Covering the recurring absences of defenders, Kouassy emerged in 13 matches and scored 3 goals in various competitions, including a first-team start in the Champions League. It is a prodigy that already has about fifty international caps for les bleus, valued by TransferMarkt at eleven million Euros, and that Bayern Munich has just rescued from the slippery hands of Leonardo and the french board, at… no cost.
Adil Aouchiche is the other young highly-sought prospect who has just freed himself from the bonds of this luxury academy with a castrative strategy. Despite his 17 years, and having already made his debut in the first team, the frustration due to the limited playing time opportunities (162 min.), in a phase of his career in which he aspires to higher flights, took the attacking midfielder rated at about five million Euros, not to renew with the club. Top scorer of the last U17 European Championship with nine goals, the French international from algerian background, is currently available to sign a contract under much more advantageous conditions, both financial and sportive. Although lacking official confirmation, L’Équipe has announced that Saint-Etienne has agreed terms with players’ representatives, which is somewhat surprising since it is not a top club, but also for the numbers involved – a €4m signing fee, plus a €100k monthly wage. A great deal for Aouchiche. A great bargain for ASSE. Another painful loss for PSG. Domage!
In the face of a constant exodus, how did the Paris Saint-Germain academy end up becoming a good bet for agents and an uncertain future for talented young people?
With the economic power that PSG has always gained, even before the arrival of so many millions, it is easy to understand why such good players are formed in their training center. The same is true in other countries with other big clubs, and also in France, with gifted players “appearing from under the rocks”. However, contrary to what might be expected, the power that PSG boasts is not reflected in the Under-19 Championnat, since since 2016 they have not won the title, nor have they even reached the semi-finals, something that makes us question the effectiveness of the club’s youth development program.
In my view, the problem lies in its sport policy (be it the process of making young people ascend to the first team, and/or as the player’s pre-promotion maturation) and the utopian obsession of winning the Champions League at any price, especially at the expense of excessive spendings in hiring .
Although, from 2011 this financial power gave it an almost absolute hegemony within borders, ridiculed in 2017 by Leonardo Jardim and Mbappé’s Monaco championship win, until then the club had only won the French league on two occasions (1986 and 1994)! As a representative club of the City of Light, with the weight this brings, PSG has always wanted to be more than it really was.
Not profiting from the investment in nurturing their young talent, for little it represents in a colossal budget, means a clamorous act of negligent management (see the example above of Man Utd with Mason Greenwood). Unfortunately, their managers seem convinced that they are on the right path, returning to bet on the Brazilian Leonardo to lead the sporting structure of the club, but after an absence of 6 years (performed the same functions between 2011 and 2013), he struggles with a squad yet unable to fight for the European title.
It is necessary to understand that training a player over several years of his adolescence, is much more than educating him tactically (what most clubs have focused on). Develop the healthy characteristics of your character, such as companionship, collective spirit, assimilation of the mystique of the club. But for that, that mystique must exist. Is it a reality in PSG? Apparently, with the examples of the last few years, none of this exists.
Eventually, starting there. Cultivating its own identity and retaining the rough diamonds that spring from this mine, called the academy. And maybe. within 10 years, instead of taking all internal competitions (without international expression), they can raise one or two European cups. France, and all those young people who aspire to play in the “Parc”, deserve it. Allez, PSG!
FAREWELL, “TITIS”!
| PLAYER | YEAR | AGE | NEW CLUB | TRF FEE | CURRENT MV |
| Tanguy Kouassi | 2020 | 18 | Bayern Munich | Free | €11.00m |
| Adil Aouchiche | 2020 | 17 | St. Etienne | Free | €5.40m |
| Raphael Nya | 2019 | 20 | Wolverhampton U23 | Unknown | |
| Romaric Yapi | 2019 | 19 | Brighton U23 | Unknown | |
| Tanguy Coulibaly | 2019 | 19 | Stuttgart | Free | |
| Ruben Providence | 2019 | 18 | AS Roma U19 | €500.000 | |
| Chris Nkunku | 2019 | 22 | RB Leipzig | €13.00m | €28.00m |
| Moussa Diaby | 2019 | 20 | Bayer Leverkusen | €15.00m | €27.00m |
| Arthur Zagre | 2019 | 18 | AS Monaco | €10.00m | €6.30m |
| Stanley Nsoki | 2019 | 21 | Nice | €12.50m | €11.00m |
| Adrien Rabiot | 2019 | 25 | Juventus | Free | €25.50m |
| Timothy Weah | 2019 | 20 | Lille | €10.00m | €7.20m |
| Antoine Bernede | 2019 | 21 | RB Salzburg | Free | €5.40m |
| Claudio Gomes | 2018 | 19 | Manchester City | Free | |
| Yacine Adli | 2018 | 19 | Bordeaux | €5.50m | €6.30m |
| Odsonne Edouard | 2018 | 22 | Celtic | €10.50m | €13.50m |
| Jonathan Ikone | 2018 | 22 | Lille | €5.0m | €36.00m |
| Jean-K. Augustin | 2017 | 23 | RB Leipzig | €16.00m | €9.50m |
| Fode Ballo-Toure | 2017 | 23 | AS Monaco | Free | €6.50m |
| B. Soumare | 2017 | 21 | Lille | Free | €24.50m |
| Dan-Axel Zagadou | 2017 | 21 | Bor. Dortmund | Free | €31.50m |
| Mike Maignan | 2015 | 25 | Lille | €1.00m | €17.50m |
| Kingsley Coman | 2014 | 24 | Juventus | Free | €40.00m |
| Mattéo Guendouzi | 2014 | 21 | Lorient U19 | Free | €40.50m |
| MoussaDembélé | 2012 | 23 | Fulham U18 | €360.000 | €40.00m |