Mbappe's future is much brighter than PSG's. The Qatari-owned club faces a difficult transition

姆巴佩(Kylian Mbappé)的未来比巴黎圣日耳曼(Paris Saint-Germain)要光明得多。

With Kylian Mbappe leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, the Qatari-owned club's plans to dominate European football have been dealt another blow after former star team-mates Neymar and Lionel Messi.

Kylian Mbappe will be chased by Europe's biggest club – with Real Madrid seemingly in the lead, while PSG faces uncertainty.

The next step for this well-funded club will be in the spotlight.

Who will succeed the 25-year-old Mbappe?How will PSG cope without Mbappe?How will head coach Luis Enrique prepare for the rest of the season and the next?

On Friday, on the eve of the team's French league clash against Nantes, Enrique tried not to answer questions at his pre-match press conference, but he was still frustrated. He only said one sentence: "I will not comment until the interested parties have their opinion", "no player is more important than the club".

When a journalist made his last attempt to ask a question in Spanish, he told her: "I don't have any information to give you on this issue".

Mbappe's departure is also not good news for the French league, which is negotiating the next set of television rights with broadcasters until 2029.

Mbappe's departure will put an end to a local boy who plays for his hometown club and helped repair his damaged image.

Mbappe was 12 years old when Qatari owner QSI bought PSG in June 2011 and was playing at the local club AS Bondy on the outskirts of Paris. At the time, the Paris Saint-Germain club was reeling from years of football violence, with two PSG fans killed in the streets near the Parc des Princes stadium and poor results on the pitch, having not won the league title since 1994.

After QSI's arrival, the hostile atmosphere of the stadium was replaced by upholstered seats and big-name stars such as Jay-Z, Michael Jordan and Beyoncé. Subsequently, PSG went on to win nine more league titles, setting a national record of 11 league titles.

In 2017, Mbappe and Neymar joined for a total of €402 million ($433 million). They helped PSG become the biggest club in France.

But what QSI really wanted was a Champions League trophy, and a slew of big names including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Angel Di Maria, along with a change of coaches, failed to achieve that. The club's motto, "Dream Bigger", was printed on the team's buses, but PSG have only reached the final once, losing 0-1 to Bayern Munich in the pandemic-shortened 2020 final.

So, what can PSG, now without stars, do if they can't win games with so many stars over the years? Will Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the ruling emir of Qatar, lose patience and terminate the whole project? Will fans who have already become disheartened about leaving the Parc des Princes get frustrated with the current leadership and turn to the club's president, Nasser al-Khelaifi?

For now, everything is still under control, and PSG has a Plan "B" in place.

Perhaps in anticipation of Mbappe's departure, PSG has begun to shift its focus to some extent, bringing in more French players such as Randal Kolo Muani, Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola, while quickly developing academy talents such as 17-year-old Warren Zaïre-Emery. Mbappe's younger brother, 17-year-old Ethan, has also joined the squad.

This represents a shift from chasing star players to chasing homegrown academy players, and it also gives homegrown academy players more opportunities than before, but the performance could get worse.

Mbappe's goals tally – 41 last season and 31 this season – for a club-record total of 243 goals – masks the glaring deficiencies in midfield and defence. He has escorted his teammates many times. Judging by the stats from the other strikers, this doesn't happen.

Kolo Muani's best result of the season is 15 league goals, Dembélé's is 12, and the 21-year-old Barcola has yet to prove it. Striker Goncalo Ramos scored 19 goals for Portugal's Benfica last season, but he was only a substitute striker.

In order to remain competitive, PSG will have to bring in a main striker again.

Here are some possible goals for PSG:

维克托-奥西姆（VICTOR OSIMHEN），那不勒斯

The Nigerian striker, who is the same age as Kylian Mbappe, seems to be the best option. With his back to goal, Osim is a good finisher with his aerial ability and speed. His 26 league goals helped Napoli win last season's Serie A title. His contract expires in 2026 and he is familiar with the French league, having played for Lille for a season before joining Napoli in 2020.

穆罕默德-萨拉赫（MOHAMED SALAH），利物浦

The dynamic Egyptian striker's contract expires in 2025 and he will be 32 years old if he joins next season. His prime may not be much left, but his goals and passes are still sharp. He has already broken the 200-goal mark for Liverpool, but Jurgen Klopp could leave Liverpool at the end of the season. If Salah leaves, though, he could go to the Saudi Arabian league instead of PSG.

Marcus Rashford, Manchester United

The 26-year-old England striker may want to leave Old Trafford after being ignored by manager Erik ten Haag. Rashford's form has slipped somewhat, scoring just five goals in 29 games, compared to a career-best 30 in 59 games last season. A move to PSG would be good for both Rashford and Manchester United.