How Monaco could have lined up if they hadn’t sold their best players

Fullback - Layvin Kurzawa (PSG)

Kurzawa started his career with Monaco

Something that Monaco have suffered from in recent years is the financial power of PSG. The French giants have the funds to outbid almost any side in the world, and the sort of wages they offer are hard for any player to turn down. Kurzawa was a man who simply couldn’t reject the temptation, and joined PSG in 2015 for a fee of just over £22 million.

The 25-year-old came through the youth ranks at Monaco, and really made a name for himself at the club. He was with the club when he made his international debut in 2014, and continued to impress after joining PSG. He also became the first defender to score a Champions League hat-trick in 2017, when he netted a treble against Anderlecht.

Fullback - Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City)

Mendy is one of the top fullbacks in the world

Of all the players who Monaco have let go over the last few years, Mendy is one of the few who is genuinely world class. He became the most expensive defender in world football when he made the £52 million switch to Manchester City in 2017. His first season in Manchester was disrupted by a serious knee injury, that restricted him to just seven appearances in his debut campaign.

He is fully fit and firing now though, and looks like his old self this season. He is getting up and down that left flank, and looks a constant threat. Monaco made an impressive £40 million profit just one season after signing Mendy, but I have no doubt they wish he was still part of their side.