PSG chief Al-Khelaifi begins to come to terms with Mbappe's departure in public

Nasser Al-Khelaifi has always been a staunch advocate, in his public appearances, of Kylian Mbappe's continuity at PSG, but something is changing. Since the striker's dinner at the Elysee with Emmanuel Macron and other important members of the French elite, the president of the Paris team has outlined a change in his discourse in an interview published this week by 'RMC Sport'.

Asked about the Parc des Princes' long-term project, he said: "We want to build a team that can really play together for another six to eight years. We have the youngest team in the quarter-finals - of the Champions League. We have the youngest team in the top 10 in Europe. That makes us proud," his statements suggest that he is preparing for a new era.

His flagship player is not a veteran by any means, but he is increasingly disappearing from Luis Enrique's plans, who maintains a conciliatory tone with his top player, but also one of common sense. Little by little, he is relegating him to a more secondary role, aware that he has to get his players used to getting by without him, who already proved to be crucial in the round of 16 tie against Real Sociedad.

PSG's commitment to young talent is evident in the eyes of the statistics, although it does not stem from a firm conviction in youth football, but rather from an accelerated investment in the transfer market. In fact, one of the main exponents of the PSG's player development system, Xavi Simons, plays on loan at Leipzig after a few years of training in Paris, who signed him from La Masia.