Ranking the Top 6 Teenagers to Have Played for PSG Since 2000
Looking for teenage talent to have played for Paris Saint-Germain since the turn of the millennium is no easy task. You have to dig deep to find any players worth mentioning in the first 10 years of the 21st century.
Ironically, with all the money the club have spent on players over the last five seasons, it has actually been during that spell that some of the most talented teenagers have graced the Parc des Princes.
In the earlier years of the century, the club gave debuts to the likes of Mikel Arteta, Lorik Cana and David N'Gog.
Recently, players such as Jean-Christophe Bahebeck, Alphonse Areola, and Jean-Kevin Augustin have broken through, but they haven't done quite enough yet to make this list.
In ranking the top six teenagers to have played for PSG since 2000, we are looking at not only what they have done for the team, but their achievements if they have moved on and what they now mean to the capital club.
Do you agree? Let us know in the comments.
6. Clement Chantome
1 of 6
One of PSG's most favourite sons, Clement Chantome played in the academy system and was part of the club from the age of 13.
After six years in the academy he made his first-team debut as an 18-year-old, coming on for the final nine minutes as PSG were held to a 0-0 draw at Valenciennes in August 2006.
Chantome would make a further 18 appearances that season and up until he left for Bordeaux in 2015, he played over 160 league games for the club.
An excellent passer of the ball and a metronome of the midfield, it was clear that once Qatar Sports Investments arrived in Paris someone like Chantome would struggle to find minutes, but he was an integral part of the team throughout those disappointing times.
He will play for Stade Rennais this term, bringing much needed experience to Christian Gourcuff's team, testament to his standing and respect within French football.
5. Adrien Rabiot
2 of 6
Adrien Rabiot may have given the club a turbulent couple of years, but this 21-year-old, as Laurent Blanc was labelled him, is the future of PSG.
A stylish and classy player—in a similar mould to Chantome—he has the ability to control, dictate and lead the Parisian midfield.
It was due to not only his potential, but his current ability that PSG held strong and kept him from leaving the French capital.
Rabiot made his league debut against Bordeaux in August 2012, and it was clear from that moment that he was something special. A loan spell at Toulouse only cemented that belief.
Now, under Unai Emery, he needs to battle against Marco Verratti, Grzegorz Krychowiak and Blaise Matuidi for a place in the PSG starting line-up.
He will likely play his 100th league game this season, which is impressive for a player still in the early part of his career, especially at a club like PSG.
Rabiot's left foot is a magic wand, he needs to be a little more assertive in his attacking play, but the whole package is there.
4. Marquinhos
3 of 6
When he arrived from AS Roma in 2013, Marquinhos' stock was already pretty high. After just one season in Serie A he had shown himself to be a talented defender.
PSG spent around £27 million to bring him to Paris, and they haven't looked back since. He made his first appearance in September 2013, handed a start at home against AS Monaco in a 1-1 draw.
His performances from the club since has led to links with Manchester United and Barcelona, per Ben Grounds of MailOnline, but despite playing as a substitute behind David Luiz and Thiago Silva, he has remained at the club and PSG hope he sees his future in the French capital.
Marquinhos would walk into the starting line-up of most European heavyweights, but that will only last for so long.
From his 75 appearances so far, though, he has proved that the champions need to do everything they can to keep the 22-year-old in Paris.
3. Mamadou Sakho
4 of 6
When he played for the club, it was said that Mamadou Sakho bled red and blue.
Born in the French capital, the teenager embodied everything that was good and exciting about the club. He became the symbol of the team, and the home fans were devastated when he moved to Liverpool in September 2013.
When he was promoted to the first team at the age of 17, Sakho was handed the captain’s armband by then-manager Paul Le Guen as a gesture to galvanise the more experienced members of the squad. It was a natural fit for the colossus defender. He is and will perhaps remain for a long time, PSG’s youngest captain.
Unable to hold on to his spot once the Brazilian invasion of the defence took place, his face and style didn’t fit and he made his escape to the Premier League.
He played 151 times in Ligue 1, but it is a shame that he only ever lifted one league title with PSG. However, he will be remembered as a symbol of the city and the club before they changed ownership.
2. Kingsley Coman
5 of 6
Kingsley Coman will forever be labelled as the one that got away, and it wouldn’t be ridiculous to suggest that one day the club will spend an outrageous amount of money to bring him home, but he has to go down as one of the best teenagers to play for PSG, despite the fact he only featured in 41 minutes of Ligue 1 action.
It was due to a lack of opportunities that Coman decided to leave the capital, and you can’t argue with his decision. He has now played for Juventus and Bayern Munich, and he represented France at Euro 2016.
Coman has won two league titles and two domestic cups since leaving the Parc des Princes and although PSG haven’t struggled, they will always be searching for a player of Coman’s ability and potential.
With every step up the ladder the 20-year-old takes, someone at the club must cringe that he was ever left in a position to leave his hometown club.
1. Marco Verratti
6 of 6
There was only one contender for the top spot in this list. After joining from Serie B side Pescara, without playing in the top flight of any division, Marco Verratti has blossomed into one of the most sought after midfielders in world football.
Still only 23 years old, he made his debut for the club in August 2013, three months before his 20th birthday. And it was clear from that first season that PSG had an exceptional talent on their hands.
An excellent passer of the ball, he showed fight and a tenacious streak that instantly endeared him to the home fans. He works tirelessly, fights for everything and then shows his Italian class and ingenuity to play a leading role in PSG’s success.
Perhaps the biggest compliment to Verratti is just how much the club missed him when he spent most of last season out injured.
He has already made over 100 appearances in Ligue 1, and PSG will hope he plays at least 100 more.
