Wednesday seemed like the end of an era for Paris Saint-Germain after their Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich. Kylian Mbappe, though, is the youngster with the most potential to cause a stir. This is because of the uncertainty surrounding Messi and Neymar.
The native of Paris, who has previously been close to joining Real Madrid, wants to win, something PSG have not accomplished on the continental stage. The fact that this team has won eight of the last ten Ligue 1 championships is impressive, but they are constructed for Champions League competition. The team must have felt a sense of déjà vu after making it to the final in 2020 only to lose to Bayern Munich again.
Liverpool star Jamie Carragher, a CBS Sports studio commentator, urged Mbappe to leave for Real Madrid and abandon a team unprepared to win the most prestigious trophies following another early exit.
Carragher stated on the UEFA Champions League Post-Match Show, “He must leave.” “I really feel that he must depart. They are in no position to win the Champions League. I do not believe it will improve next season if this team remains, and the sooner he joins Real Madrid, the better.
“Going out five times in the last sixteen days is a joke. In a perfect scenario, you would need a lot of мoney and experience in the transfer market, but they lack both. Sergio Ramos is one of the greatest players the world has ever seen in my position and a serial winner, but you should buy the finest young center backs in the world instead of players like him.”
In a sense, Carragher is correct, since PSG’s recruitment strategy, or lack thereof, feels odd, and this hinders their ability to compete with teams like Bayern, who have a clear recruitment strategy. Despite the fact that PSG was suffering with injuries, when a club reaches their level, injuries do not matter as much because every resource is available to assure depth everywhere. As a result of depth, balancing playing time for exceptional players can be a struggle, but world-class managers can overcome this obstacle since they are focused on victory. PSG have not shied away from attempting to acquire some of the world’s greatest players, but a lack of defensive recruiting, especially centrally, has contributed to their decline.
Moving forward, PSG must either throw all their chips on the table and see what happens if Mbappe is given greater power, or they must come to grips with his eventual departure. It is possible that surrounding Mbappe with elderly stars and an unstable Neymar will just continue PSG’s trend of nearly reaching their goals before falling short. Thierry Henry, a legend for both France and Arsenal, advised that the team acquire more players who would identify with the club and be willing to give their all. He recommended specifically Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thurham, the son of his former France teammate Lillian Thurham.
Yet acquiring a squad that embraces the team mindset and supports Mbappe’s goal could motivate players to perform for each other and increase their chances of overcoming the obstacle.