With PSG forced to sell to accommodate their influx of superstars, including Lionel Messi, Liverpool can snatch their top young talent including fellow La Masia starlet in Xavi Simons.

With Lionel Messi now confirmed at Paris Saint Germain, the football world has begun salivating over the star-studded XI that the Parisiens can potentially field. FIFA FUT 22 has taken over real life as fans debate how they will fit all of that talent into one side.
The truth is that they won’t. Lionel Messi’s arrival is not good news for everyone in Paris. While it might appear that FFP doesn’t apply to them, in fact, French Football’s regulators, the DNCG, agreed to postpone their restrictions for two years in the wake of the pandemic. Despite this, there are still books to be balanced. According to reports, the club are looking to recoup as much as 180m with the sales of as many as ten first-team players, including Mauro Icardi, Thiago Alcântara’s brother Rafinha, former Premier League midfielders Idrissa Gueye & Ander Herrera, and talented full-backs Thilo Kehrer & Layvin Kurzawa.
There will be transfer outlets rushing to link Liverpool to some if not all of those mentioned, despite the chances of any of them arriving at Anfield remaining slim for a variety of reasons such as age, wage and talent. However, that’s not to say we should ignore the Parisians altogether.
The PSG youth academy is one of the world’s best, and yet, similarly to Chelsea, these young talents are used to improve the bank balance instead of the team. Kingsley Coman, Christopher Nkunku, Giovanni Lo Celso, Odsonne Édouard and Moussa Diaby have all had to leave to prove they have what it takes to make it at the top level. This summer has already seen highly-rated talents like Adil Aouchiche, Tanguy Kouassi and Timothée Pembélé depart.
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Rather than spending 25-40m on players towards the end of their careers, Liverpool’s style is to look for youngsters on the cusp of a breakout, preferably in the 15-20m bracket.
PSG have a few of those as well, and while it may not be their preference to get rid of prospects on lower wages, their hand may be forced. Here are a couple of names that could be a lot more tempting to Messrs Klopp and Edwards.
Xavi Simons
When your first brush with fame is as a nine-year-old, you become accustomed to high expectations. Even so, there’s a difference between clocking up three million Instagram followers turning tricks for amateur side C.D. Thader and playing for Barcelona and PSG. Not that you could tell by the way this 18-year-old plays football. A hard-working, skilful midfielder who can do damage in both boxes, Simons has captured imagination, drawing inevitable comparisons to the man he was named after.
The young Dutchman only arrived in Paris in 2019 after deciding to leave Camp Nou searching for first-team opportunities encouraged by his agent Mino Raiola, according to reports in Catalonia. Simons got his wish. Despite making the bench repeatedly under Thomas Tuchel, it was Mauricio Pochettino who thrust him into action, replacing Neymar to see out a 1-0 win against Caen in the Coupe de France. The total of 13 minutes in two appearances may not be enough to satisfy him, and he has just a year left on his current deal in the French capital.
However, there’s no doubt that Simons would run into similar problems on Merseyside, with Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones currently earning their minutes after proving themselves on the training ground. Still, with succession plans needed for Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Thiago, Klopp may feel that he can instil patience in the young tyro that could see him steer our midfield into the next generation.
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Arnaud Kalimuendo
With Liverpool looking to a future without Divock Origi, Kalimuendo represents a more substantial back-up option than the Belgian either out wide or through the middle. The bustling forward has retained an eye for goal while navigating the age pyramid, with nine goals in 10 games in the UEFA Youth League, followed by eight goals and six assists in all competitions in a loan spell last season with Lens.
Similarly to Sadio Mané, Kalimuendo is adept in the air despite standing at just 1.75m, using movement and a burst of speed to get the jump on defenders. French outlet Foot Mercato believes he is a target for Ligue Un champions Lille, possibly replacing Jonathan David.
Liverpool may prefer to shop higher up the food chain, with solid rumours linking the club with a move for David. The stumbling block would be the potential cost, particularly if deals for Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri end up lower than Liverpool’s ideal valuation. In that instance, Kalimuendo becomes a viable option. There may even be thoughts of an initial loan elsewhere in England if squad spaces remain tight amongst the non-homegrown contingent.
Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe
There’s no guarantee that a kid from the Parisian suburbs grew up dreaming of becoming the next James Milner. Still, Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe has undoubtedly picked up the Yorkshireman’s habit of making an impact all over the pitch. The 20-year-old has made versatility his calling card, excelling across the midfield and forward line. The man who placed the most faith in him, Dijon coach David Linares, used him predominantly as a wide forward while on loan last season.
Ebimbe was a regular during an ultimately disappointing season, as Dijon finished 14 points adrift at the foot of the table. However, the Frenchman was one of the brighter performers, amassing 30 appearances filled with enterprise. Despite those glowing reports, it appears that he has little chance of breaking into Pochettino’s plans in the forthcoming season.
As with Simons, Ebimbe would need to battle a host of midfield options for a place in the team a feat beyond the scope of Marko Gruji. And yet, with PSG giving Dijon the option to buy for just 4m, this may be the kind of cost-effective deal for FSG with little downside, an approach that may still pay off with Ben Davies and Takumi Minamino.
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