There’s no question Monaco have been the biggest surprise in Europe this season. The French side is alive on the Ligue 1 title race, but they have excelled in Europe as well. Monaco eliminated Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, and will fight Juventus for a berth on the Final.
One might ask – how a team that is not considering among the regular powerhouses has sneaked into the top? Well, Leonardo Jardim’s secret has been to trust their youth players. They have some experienced players, but the core of the squad is relatively young.
Let’s analyze their regular starting lineup throughout the season. We can see Monaco is a team that thrives with youth players. And the one that gets the biggest praises is no other than Kylian Mbappe-Lottin.
Experts speak fascinating things about the 18-year-old wonderkid, and many believe he’s the next big thing. Even French legend Thierry Henry praised him, and scouts have compared to Ronaldo and Nicolas Anelka, just to name a few. He’s loaded with potential, and he has been impressive this season thanks to 23 goals in 37 contests this season. He also has 10 goals in his last nine appearances across all competitions.
And it’s just a matter of seeing him play for a bit to realize just how talented he is:
However, Mbappe is not the only player who stands out in Les Monegasques. Tiemoue Bakayoko and Bernardo Silva have impressed everyone with their play in the UEFA Champions League. In fact, several Premier League and Serie A sides have inquired about them. Bakayoko could join Chelsea, while Juventus and Manchester United are keen to land Silva. Both players are 22 years old, so both have a few years before entering their prime.
Who else, you might ask? Djibril Sidibe (24) already represented France, same with Thomas Lemar (21) and Benjamin Mendy (22). Almamy Toure (20) emerged as one of the best attacking fullbacks in Europe this season. Fabinho (23) is a versatile midfielder who could join Manchester United next season. And Boschilia (21) was having an impressive season before suffering a serious knee injury.
The average age of their best XI is 24.3 years old. And that comes after adding players like Radamel Falcao (31), Danijel Subasic (32) and Kamil Glik (29). But even those three players are either on their prime, or entering their best years. Soccer players tend to peak between 28 and 32, so they fit the mold. This proves Jardim’s work has been even more impressive than one might think. He’s taking a very young team all the way to the top of Europe.
So what should Monaco do now? We know a few players might leave for greener pastures. But the management should try to keep the core intact for as long as they can. Monaco is building something special, and if they find a way to keep Mbappe, Fabinho, Lemar, Silva and the rest together for a few more years, we could see them become an authentic powerhouse.
Sadly, that might not happen. But there’s no doubt Monaco needs to replicate this model again if possible. They have been extremely successful, and they need to maintain this for as long as they can.