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Paris Saint-Germain are arguably the most ambitious footballing institution in the world right now. They have the funding to back their ambitions and are doing all they can to bring home the most prestigious trophies. With former Barcelona man Lionel Messi leading the charge, PSG now have a solid shot at winning the Champions League. However, winning the Ol’ Big Ears is not the only goal for PSG.
The Ligue 1 side want to make an empire and compete with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United. To share the same table, PSG need to have a solid youth system, and by the looks of it, they are on their way.
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Here are the top five youngsters who are already turning heads at PSG.
#5 Bandiougou Fadiga
PSG Under-18 midfielder Bandiougou Fadiga is one of the club’s crowned jewels. The versatile 20-year-old rose through the ranks of PSG’s youth system to sign his first professional contract in January 2019. Fadiga featured regularly for the PSG B side over the course of the 2019-20 season and earned his first senior call-up in 2020.
Fadiga made his first-team debut in September 2020, coming on as a substitute in a 1-0 win over Metz at the Parc des Princes. He went on to make five more appearances for the Parisians over the first half of the season. In February 2021, PSG sent Fadiga to Brest on loan. He made four Ligue 1 appearances in the second half.
Fadiga is currently back at the club and is honing his skills with PSG’s B side. If he chooses to stick with the French giants, we might see him in action for the senior team again, sooner rather than later.
#4 Junior Dina Ebimbe
Like Fadiga, Junior Dina Ebimbe is another young central midfielder who demands your attention. The 20-year-old enrolled in PSG’s youth academy in 2012 from his first club, AAS Sarcelles. He proved his midfield mastery in no time and rose swiftly through the club’s ranks.
Ebimbe served two loan spells at AC Le Havre and Dijon respectively, but PSG brought him back on both occasions. Ebimbe made his PSG debut in the Trophee des Champions defeat to Lille. He had more luck in his Ligue 1 debut, which saw PSG win 2-1 at Troyes.
The midfielder is currently part of the senior side and has already featured for PSG five times in the 2021-22 campaign.
#3 Edouard Michut
PSG have acquired quite a few high-profile youngsters over the years, and Edouard Michut is certainly one of their bigger prospects.
Michut joined Paris Saint-Germain’s youth academy from Versailles in 2016 and has progressed nicely through the club's ranks to make himself a potential first-team player.
Michut, a naturally-gifted attacking midfielder, signed his first professional contract with PSG in July 2020. In February 2021, he made his senior team debut in a 4-0 routing of Dijon.
Michut was part of the senior team in 2020-21 but was demoted back to the U-19 side for this season. Pochettino wants all of PSG’s youngsters to fire on all cylinders when called upon, and the onus is now on Michut to prove his mettle.
#2 Ismael Gharbi
PSG have high expectations from their teen sensation Ismael Gharbi. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder joined the club's ever-improving youth academy in 2016 and has been developing nicely since. Gharbi’s natural instinct is to sit behind the striker and provide defence-piercing passes. However, he is also quite capable of playing as a wide midfielder.
He likes to shoot from range and also knows how to feed his teammates when they are in a better position. Gharbi scored five goals at the Alkass International Cup in Qatar back in 2020 and hopes to represent PSG’s senior team regularly.
So far, Gharby has featured in only one game for PSG in the Trophee des Champions loss to Lille, but more appearances seem likely. PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino is fond of the player and even arranged for him to meet Lionel Messi soon after the Argentine joined the French giants this summer.
#1 Xavi Simons
PSG are making a habit of luring top players from Barcelona. Not only did they buy Lionel Messi in the summer, but they also have “the next Messi” Xavi Simons in their ranks.
Simons was brought from Barcelona’s La Masia on a free transfer in the summer of 2019. The 18-year-old central midfielder has settled in nicely at the club and is an integral part of PSG’s U-19 side.
Simons is an agile midfielder who can attack as well as defend. Sitting in the middle of the park, Simons carefully orchestrates the midfield and gallops ahead when an opportunity comes knocking. PSG U-19 have benefitted massively from his versatility this season. In three matches, Simons has scored two goals and provided an assist.
He made his first-team debut for PSG in a 1–0 Coupe de France win over Caen in February 2021. However, he is currently back training with the U-19's.
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