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A youth investment program within a particular team or league has always been an important part of football. Everyone loves to see young talent being developed and nurtured into an international star. Talking about the French champions, the PSG Academy has produced several such international stars before becoming the massive powerhouse they are now.
Established in 1975, the academy currently consists of two teams, the Under 19 and the Under 17. Full of young and talented teenagers, the PSG Academy was also named Best Youth Club by the French Football Federation on four occasions (1989, 2011, 2013, 2014)
Before look at 5 best players to have graduated from Paris Saint-Germain's academy throughout the years, Mamadou Sakho and Adrien Rabiot should be given honourable mentions on just missing out on the list.
#5 Presnel Kimpembe
At number 5 we have the centre-back Presnel Kimpembe.
Not the first name that comes to mind when you think about the exciting young French players, Kimpembe has shown how patience and hard work can help you achieve your dreams in life. The young Parisian wasn’t tipped for big things at a young age but his determination and perseverance, adding to his skills and athletic abilities, have rightly earned him his position in the team. While there are many things to appreciate about the 24-year old, his journey and unwavering positive attitude remain one of his most admired attributes.
Talking about his playing style, the Frenchman is quite composed in tight situations and can pick out passes between the lines of the opposition. With good positional sense while marking and great acceleration and strength, he can be called a solid modern centre-back.
Presnel Kimpembe is currently at Paris Saint-Germain, rising through the ranks while adding much needed young blood into the squad. He was also part of the 2018 World Cup winning squad and will be looking to improve even further and cement a position in that talented France line-up. Called as the 'Future of French Football' by retired defender William Gallas, Presnel Kimpembe is surely one of the better players to graduate from Paris Saint-Germain's academy.
#4) Moussa Dembele
Moussa Dembélé is one striker who is linked to almost all clubs because he is that good. From Manchester United to Chelsea to PSG, all want to sign the 23-year old.
Dembélé has exceeded all expectations in his career so far. Aa a teenager at Fulham, Dembélé scored 17 goals in 2015/16. At Celtic, even as a youngster, he responded to the pressure of leading the line and delivered in big matches, including a hat-trick against Rangers in the The Old Firm derby.
A move to Lyon meant Dembélé could showcase his talent in a top 5 league and that is what he has done. With 25 league goals in 51 games and also goals in the Champions League, the French striker has made a solid start to his life at his new club. He also has 13 goals in 25 games for the French U-21 side. The striker pipped the likes of Anthony Martial and Kingsley Coman and became the France U-21 player of the year in 2016.
Moussa Dembélé is quick, agile, and a natural goalscorer. A move to one of the top teams in Europe is on the cards for the talented 23-year old. Maybe back to his old club Paris Saint-Germain to give competition to new signing Mauro Icardi?
#3) Kingsley Coman
A dazzling young player who has played for the biggest clubs already. At the age of 23, Kingsley Coman has played for Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and Bayern Munich. Coman has won the Ligue 1 twice, the Serie A once and the Bundesliga four times. 7 league titles at the age of 23 is something astonishing. But is it going to be a case of 'career ruined by injuries'?
Coman was scouted by Paris Saint-Germain, with whom he joined the youth academy in 2004. After nine years in the club's youth system, Coman made his professional debut for PSG in 2013. A move to the Italian champions in 2014 did not work out very well for the young winger and he was loaned to Bayern Munich in 2015. He was runner-up to compatriot Anthony Martial for the 2015 Golden Boy.
It has been tough for Coman to settle in with Bayern even after almost five years. The winger has been a victim to many injuries and has missed around 80 games for the club. Regarded as one of the most promising young players of his generation, Coman is a clever, talented and technically gifted winger. He possesses good dribbling skills, vision, acceleration and dangerous speed.
While he still has areas to improve in his game, the main issue for Coman remains his injury problems. The 23-year old would be determined to gain consistency in his game time and performances, and follow the footsteps of club legends Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery to become a world-class player.
#2) Patrice Evra
Second on our list, we have Patrice Evra. Regarded as one of the best players in the world in his position during his prime, Evra is a player every football fan knows and admires. A player who has had success wherever he went, he was arguably the best graduate of PSG's academy.
Evra's career began to shine when he was at Monaco. The defender, who was originally a left-winger, was advised by manager Didier Deschamps that he would make a good left-back. Evra still credits Deschamps for encouraging and allowing him to become a better defender. In January 2006, Evra signed for Manchester United £5.5 million and signed a three-and-a-half-year contract. He struggled a lot and took time to adapt to the Premier League and English football but all was forgotten once he began to showcase his potential. Evra won 5 league titles with Manchester United and also a UCL in 2008. He was part of the PFA Premier League Team of the Year 3 times and also was part of the World XI and UEFA Team of the Year in 2009.
After Evra left Manchester United, he had three seasons at Juventus followed by short spells in Marseille and West Ham. He was an aggressive, tactically brilliant, versatile and hard-working player and was known for his leadership qualities too.
#1) Nicolas Anelka
Finally, at number one we have the very dynamic striker Nicolas Anelka. Anelka began his career at PSG at 16 and was said to have great potential for scoring goals. In 1997, the 17-year old was bought by Arsène Wenger and Anelka entered the English Premier League. He was Arsenal's top scorer in the 1998-99 season with 17 Premier League goals. This form saw him voted the PFA Young Player of the Year. But pressure from the fans and media saw Anelka join Real Madrid in 1999.
The French striker's move to Real Madrid did not pan out very well. It took him nearly 8 months to score his first league goal and disagreement with coaching staff saw him move back to PSG in the summer of 2000. The striker had short spells at Liverpool, Manchester City, Fenerbahçe and Bolton Wanderers before his move to Chelsea. Anelka won the Premier League and two FA cups with the club and was also the league's top-scorer in 2008/09 season. The Frenchman then had spells in China, India and also a very controversial time at West Brom.
Anelka was the first choice striker when France won the Euro 2000. The striker has 14 goals in 69 games for the national side. In November 2018, he joined Lille as a youth offensive coach. Nicolas Anelka was absolutely incredible, and his pace and power in his early years was too good to handle for the best of defenders. He is the 16th top scorer in Premier League history and was named in the Premier League team of the season twice, a decade apart.
