GREAT TALENT: Monaco's Kylian Mbappe celebrates with team mates after scoring against Caen.

Monaco princes primed to snatch PSG’s crown

Editorial

31. mars 2017

Football

Monaco have a real chance to end two years of complete domestic dominance by Paris Saint Germain when they face the title holders in Saturday’s French League Cup final.

Artikkelen fortsetter under annonsen

Owned by billionaire Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev, Monaco have banked on recruiting the cream of French youth whilst their Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim has unleashed Europe’s highest scorers on the pitch.

They have also earned a fortune selling on the likes of James Rodriguez, Anthony Martial and others to balance the books at a visibly burgeoning club.

The latest starlet to emerge at Monaco is 18-year-old striker Kylian Mbappe, who will be firmly in the spotlight at Lyon’s Stade Olympique this weekend.

Chelsea are among Europe’s big guns reportedly chasing him and their star striker Diego Costa last week called Mbappe «a phenomenon».

Underlining his fast-growing reputation, Barcelona’s Gerard Pique picked out the youngster at half time of the France v Spain game on Tuesday, asking Mbappe for his shirt.

Striker Radamel Falcao is also back on form, helping Monaco plunder 87 goals so far in the French league, which they lead with eight games to go and face Dortmund in the Champions League quarter-finals.

In contrast to the surging confidence in Monaco, in Paris there is a feeling that Unai Emery will be shown the door in the summer after only a year in charge at PSG following the Champions League meltdown at Barcelona.

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