Image Credits: Imago Images
Paris Saint-Germain’s transformation from football’s most notorious big spenders to European champions has become the blueprint every elite club wants to replicate.
For years, PSG embodied everything wrong with modern football. The Qatari-backed club splashed a combined €400 million on Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, assembled a front three worth half a billion with Lionel Messi, yet repeatedly stumbled in the Champions League. Their galáctico era was defined by oversized egos, tactical chaos, and humiliating European exits.
But everything changed when Luis Enrique arrived in summer 2023 with a radical vision: ditch the superstars, build around hungry young talent, and create a real team. When Mbappé departed for Real Madrid last summer, PSG doubled down on youth, signing teenage sensations like João Neves (€60m from Benfica) and Désiré Doué while placing trust in academy graduates Warren Zaïre-Emery and Senny Mayulu.
The gamble paid off spectacularly. PSG fielded the youngest lineup in their history – averaging just 21.9 years – and romped to a historic 2024/25 continental treble, demolishing Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final. They proved that team cohesion trumps individual brilliance, with Doue and 19-year-old Neves starring as Luis Enrique’s side became only the second French club to conquer Europe.
And it seems that Liverpool are humble enough to learn from the French giants. James Pearce of the Athletic has reported that Micchael Edwards – alongside FSG technical director Julian Ward and LFC infrastructure chief Kieron Bacon – visited PSG’s state-of-the-art Campus Paris Saint-Germain in Poissy before Christmas.
The timing wasn’t coincidental. Liverpool announced plans for a £20 million academy overhaul at Kirkby last year, and according to the report the Liverpool reps visited to gain inspiration.
Inaugurated in 2024, the 59-hectare PSG complex boasts 16 pitches with hybrid grass technology, a hypoxic training chamber simulating high-altitude conditions, four therapeutic hydrotherapy pools, cutting-edge data analysis systems collecting real-time performance metrics, and 5G connectivity throughout. The professionals train on “smart pitches” while 140 academy players aged 13-19 benefit from integrated educational facilities including 15 classrooms.
In an era where Financial Fair Play demands smarter spending, there is a compelling roadmap: build brilliant facilities, trust young talent, and watch them deliver glory.
Want to get the latest Liverpool news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.