Why would Mbappe continue with PSG, which is a complete mess?

Despite the individual brilliance of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, their combined efforts were not enough to lead PSG to Champions League success this season. In fact, they failed to progress to even the quarter-finals. This marks the fourth time in the past six years since Mbappe joined PSG, alongside Neymar, for a world record fee, that the team has been knocked out in the last 16.

It's hard to ignore the sense that things have been going downhill for PSG since their defeat in the 2020 final to Bayern Munich, who once again emerged victorious over PSG on Wednesday night.

'Stars piling up like a pampered child'

Messi was expected to be the solution to PSG's problems, but despite his consistent performances this season, the club's underlying flaw has been exposed. The Collectif UltrasParis criticized the club for prioritizing star power over a cohesive sporting plan and for neglecting domestic trophies.

Messi was expected to be the solution to PSG's problems

PSG's annual Champions League exit has created a divide with its supporters, causing some to not even celebrate their Ligue 1 title win. After facing pressure from ultras to resign, Al-Khelaifi made significant changes, including firing the sporting director and head coach and giving Mbappe an unprecedented level of power. However, the club's new project has yet to yield different results.

Mbappe is the basis of the entire project

PSG's squad is imbalanced and top-heavy, with three forwards who are unwilling or unable to press or trackback. This has resulted in a porous defense, which is evident from their inability to keep a clean sheet in the current Champions League season. Neymar's recent injury may have been a blessing in disguise for the new coach Galtier, who has the difficult task of leading PSG to a Champions League victory.

Mbappe is the basis of the entire project

However, Neymar's injury is likely to end his season and potentially his six-year tenure in Paris. Messi's future with the club is uncertain, and Mbappe is the only thing holding the PSG project together. If he decides to leave, the entire foundation of the club's future will crumble. Mbappe has already become the club's record goalscorer, but his objective is to lead PSG to their first-ever European Cup victory.

The question remains, can PSG achieve this goal with their current management and strategy of signing star players instead of those suited to a particular system?

The equivalent of Champions League failure

Last year, the ultras decided that Al-Khelaifi was not suitable for the job, and their opinion is unlikely to have changed after his latest setback. PSG's president had expressed his sole objective of making the team stronger than the previous season, yet they failed to clear that low bar. Instead of recruiting players that fit the system, PSG continued to sign superstars.

It's not surprising that PSG has once again been knocked out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage since it has become synonymous with Champions League failure. Their underperformance is not about a lack of investment since they have invested a lot of money, but rather how it's been spent.

The equivalent of Champions League failure

In contrast to Manchester City, whose owners have invested wisely and implemented a holistic approach more than 10 years ago, PSG still appears to be playing Fantasy Football when it comes to recruitment. The fans are frustrated with the obsession with high-profile players as it has blocked the path from the academy to the first team, as seen in the absence of PSG's academy product Kingsley Coman in the team's starting line-up.

While PSG did bring El Chadaille Bitshiabu and Warren Zaire-Emery off the bench, some might argue that their presence was due to the club's scatter-gun approach to squad-building rather than their prodigious talent.

Nobody left for Al-Khelaifi to blame

Leonardo made a valid point last year after PSG's loss to Real Madrid, stating that it's unnecessary to discard everything and start anew after each defeat. However, it's perplexing why the club anticipates different outcomes when they repeatedly employ the same unsuccessful methods in recruiting players and hiring coaches.

Nobody left for Al-Khelaifi to blame

Unai Emery was reminded in an interview with L'Equipe that he was one of three former PSG bosses, along with Carlo Ancelotti and Thomas Tuchel, who led their teams to the quarter-finals of last season's Champions League. Emery's response was that they were all excellent coaches, and if they failed with PSG, it's due to an underlying issue at the club's core.

The club's failure to achieve their 2018 Champions League victory promise nine years ago indicates a problem that Al-Khelaifi is still attempting to uncover. Over the previous five years, he has been frantically searching for solutions and assigning blame to coaches, sporting directors, and even referees. Perhaps, after their most recent European failure, it's time to inspect the club's internal workings more closely.