PSG changes the strategy, crosses out the stars and bets on the young

Since Qatar Sports Investments acquired Paris Saint-Germain in 2011, the club has seen a constellation of stars. Players of the caliber of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, David Beckham, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and finally Lionel Messi landed at the Parc des Princes.

However, the Parisians never managed to achieve their big goal, namely winning the Champions League. It is precisely because of this that the Qatari owners have decided to take a completely new direction, betting on young talents.

It is now almost certain that Messi will leave in the summer, and there is growing talk that he will be followed by Neymar. This marks the beginning of the club's new strategy, according to which the club will try to develop its own personnel and attract them, and they will be primarily French.

This confirms President Nasser Al-Khelaifi's words from June 2022 that "the time of luxury and glamor is over". The boss was heavily criticized by the fans for betting too much on stars who are not bringing the club any closer to the big goal.

With Leo Messi, Sergio Ramos, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in their squad, PSG have failed in two consecutive seasons in the Champions League, falling as far as the round of 16. Even worse, there is no development and no identity in sight at the club. It is this that has made Al-Khelaifi totally rethink his strategy for the development of the club.

From June onwards, PSG will be banking more on talent from their academy and will be keeping an eye on other young players to bring into their squad. They will mainly be looking for French footballers. In recent years, players such as Eduardo Camavinga, Dayo Upamecano, Aurelien Chuameni, Wesley Fofana and Jules Kunde have been released by the Parisians and headed abroad.

Meanwhile, the club has also seen the departure of a number of top-class players such as Kingsley Coman, Christopher Nkunku, Moussa Diaby and Mike Meignan, who were not given a chance at Parc des Princes but shine at full strength in their current teams.

This year the club will open a new sports complex located in Yvelines, Poissy, so this is a clear sign: the academy will be the cornerstone of PSG's new project. In fact, Parisians have invested quite seriously in the development of their school, but the problem was that the talents in it were rarely given a chance to break into the first team.

However, this season Warren Zaire-Emery, El Shadail Bitshiabou and Ismael Garbi have all been given chances to feature and have made good impressions. Now they, as well as other players from the academy, are expected to become an integral part of the first team and it is around them that the image of the club is built.

However, the main pillar in the new project remains Kylian Mbappe. In Paris, they will build their project around him, the idea being that he will be surrounded by young French talents to absorb and learn from him. In this way, the scandals between the stars will be avoided, as there have been more than once or twice in recent years.

Messi leaves as a free agent and Neymar will be sold or loaned. Thus, the new path for PSG will officially begin. It will certainly be longer, as it will take time for the realization of new ideas and the development of young talents. However, at Parc des Princes, they hope that the club will finally build its face and identity and sooner or later achieve its big goal - winning the Champions League.

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