AFTER THEIR DAZZLING Champions League displays last term, it was always inevitable that Monaco’s collection of magnificent, vibrant young players would be tracked intensely by Europe’s elite this summer.
And so it’s proved.
But the Ligue 1 club are desperately trying to fend off some unwelcome advances and make smart additions as they deal with a handful of departures.
Midfield duo Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko have made the move to the Premier League and joined Manchester City and Chelsea respectively.
Pep Guardiola is also desperate to land their left-back Benjamin Mendy and the 23-year-old has been left out of the Monaco squad for the this weekend’s friendly with Sporting Lisbon as that transfer nears completion.
Meanwhile, Arsenal remain in the hunt for Thomas Lemar and if the latest whispers are to be believed, Arsene Wenger – who has always retained a close relationship with the club after managing them to a championship in 1988 – is increasingly confident of landing the French international.
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Thomas Lemar remains heavily-linked with a move to Arsenal. NurPhoto
NurPhoto
But, Monaco aren’t merely kissing the feet of marquee clubs. They’ve been aggressive and reacted angrily to a host of ‘important’ teams making advances towards their 18-year-old prized asset, Kylian Mbappe.
In a statement on Thursday, they said they were considering bringing disciplinary proceedings against the guilty parties – believed to be City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
Essentially, Monaco have acknowledged they will lose a certain amount of key players this summer but they’re intent on keeping some too.
And, as well as that, deliver intelligent, exciting acquisitions to replace those heading elsewhere. Like, for instance, Youri Tielemans.
Having only turned 20 in May, he’s been tipped for stardom for the last numbers of years after repeatedly impressing for Anderlecht.
Youri Tielemans in action for Anderlecht. Nick Potts
Nick Potts
Last season, he managed 13 goals as the club picked up the Belgian title. For his trouble, Tielemans was crowned the country’s young player of the year.
He was signed to a five-year deal worth about £21.5m – a bargain considering the dizzying fees associated with unproven, raw talent.
A big test was the Europa League quarter-final against Manchester United and Tielemans, while wearing the captain’s armband, didn’t shirk the challenge and impressed.
He made a point of telling reporters that he joined Monaco because of their faith in young players and they’ve stayed true to that philosophy by also picking up a pair of 23-year-olds in Soualiho Meite and Terence Kongolo from Zulte Waregem and Feyenoord respectively.
There’s also economics at play here. Monaco can’t compete for the same calibre of players they signed a number of years ago – James Rodriguez, Joao Moutinho and Falcao at his peak. It was a brief moment in the spotlight while their owner’s personal life also ensured flippant spending came to a rapid halt.
So, they need to invest in young, bright talent but sell for a premium when they’re forced to. And, to their credit, that’s exactly what they’re doing.
By selling to Premier League clubs particularly, the price instantly goes up.
Silva was bought from Benfica for £14m in 2014 and sold to City three years later for £44.8m. Bakayoko was bought in the same summer for £7m and sold to Chelsea for £36m. Mendy was only signed in the summer of 2016 for £11.6m. City will, more than likely, pay about £60m to get him in the coming days.
That’s intelligent recruitment and transfer strategy. If they can keep that going and hold tight for a few more weeks, their Champions League run in 2016/17 may not be a one-off after all.
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Europe's most exciting club last season, Monaco are battling hard to keep hold of key youngsters
AFTER THEIR DAZZLING Champions League displays last term, it was always inevitable that Monaco’s collection of magnificent, vibrant young players would be tracked intensely by Europe’s elite this summer.
And so it’s proved.
But the Ligue 1 club are desperately trying to fend off some unwelcome advances and make smart additions as they deal with a handful of departures.
Midfield duo Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko have made the move to the Premier League and joined Manchester City and Chelsea respectively.
Pep Guardiola is also desperate to land their left-back Benjamin Mendy and the 23-year-old has been left out of the Monaco squad for the this weekend’s friendly with Sporting Lisbon as that transfer nears completion.
Meanwhile, Arsenal remain in the hunt for Thomas Lemar and if the latest whispers are to be believed, Arsene Wenger – who has always retained a close relationship with the club after managing them to a championship in 1988 – is increasingly confident of landing the French international.
But, Monaco aren’t merely kissing the feet of marquee clubs. They’ve been aggressive and reacted angrily to a host of ‘important’ teams making advances towards their 18-year-old prized asset, Kylian Mbappe.
In a statement on Thursday, they said they were considering bringing disciplinary proceedings against the guilty parties – believed to be City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
Essentially, Monaco have acknowledged they will lose a certain amount of key players this summer but they’re intent on keeping some too.
And, as well as that, deliver intelligent, exciting acquisitions to replace those heading elsewhere. Like, for instance, Youri Tielemans.
Having only turned 20 in May, he’s been tipped for stardom for the last numbers of years after repeatedly impressing for Anderlecht.
Last season, he managed 13 goals as the club picked up the Belgian title. For his trouble, Tielemans was crowned the country’s young player of the year.
He was signed to a five-year deal worth about £21.5m – a bargain considering the dizzying fees associated with unproven, raw talent.
A big test was the Europa League quarter-final against Manchester United and Tielemans, while wearing the captain’s armband, didn’t shirk the challenge and impressed.
He made a point of telling reporters that he joined Monaco because of their faith in young players and they’ve stayed true to that philosophy by also picking up a pair of 23-year-olds in Soualiho Meite and Terence Kongolo from Zulte Waregem and Feyenoord respectively.
There’s also economics at play here. Monaco can’t compete for the same calibre of players they signed a number of years ago – James Rodriguez, Joao Moutinho and Falcao at his peak. It was a brief moment in the spotlight while their owner’s personal life also ensured flippant spending came to a rapid halt.
So, they need to invest in young, bright talent but sell for a premium when they’re forced to. And, to their credit, that’s exactly what they’re doing.
By selling to Premier League clubs particularly, the price instantly goes up.
Silva was bought from Benfica for £14m in 2014 and sold to City three years later for £44.8m. Bakayoko was bought in the same summer for £7m and sold to Chelsea for £36m. Mendy was only signed in the summer of 2016 for £11.6m. City will, more than likely, pay about £60m to get him in the coming days.
That’s intelligent recruitment and transfer strategy. If they can keep that going and hold tight for a few more weeks, their Champions League run in 2016/17 may not be a one-off after all.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
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benjamin mendy Bernardo Silva Philosophy Chelsea Manchester City Monaco Tiemoué Bakayoko Youri Tielemans