While AS Monaco has made an eye-watering total of 365 million euros from selling its top talent over the past few weeks, the club’s strategy remains the same, to recruit vigorous new talent and build another squad of mainly youngsters to take Europe by storm.
Ten new recruits have been added to the roster, including Lazio forward Keita Balde, 22, who Tottenham had been targeting, as well as 20-year-old Belgian Youri Tielemans. Somewhat older players include Stevan Jovetic, who joins from Inter having been impressive on loan at Sevilla last season, and goalkeeper Diego Benaglio on a free transfer from Wolfsburg. Rachid Ghezzal has also come in for no fee from Lyon, as has Jordy Gaspar.
Adama Diakhaby a 21-year-old striker brought in from Rennes for 10 million euros, has already been leading the line-up alongside the experienced striker Radamel Falcao as Mbappe has been missing from the side, while Terence Kongolo has joined the back line-up to help fill the void left by Bernard Mendy. Soualiho Meite and Jordi Mboula are additional defensive reinforcements.
The international soccer press is already wondering which of these young players will rise to the top and themselves become targets at the end of the new season if Monaco’s gamble pays off.