The Biggest "What If" Team Ever?

 

                                 AS Monaco 2016/2017 Squad

AS Monaco Success

    The 2016/2017 season was one for the history books for Ligue 1 side, AS Monaco. In a league notoriously dominated by financial giants, Paris Saint Germain, they were able to secure a league title, as well as reaching the semi final of the Champions League while beating English giants Manchester City along the way. They were a young and hungry squad that showed great potential to be a force to be reckoned with in Europe for years to come. Led by a young Bernardo Silva and and even younger Kylian Mbappe, Monaco played an exciting brand of football that was a joy for any fan to watch. However, this inspirational story did not take the turn that football fans may have thought.

Notable Transfers

    Monaco went into the summer transfer window before the 2017/2018 season with high hopes to improve on their impressive young side and grow into a true powerhouse. However, many of their star players began to be poached by notoriously larger European clubs. Here's a list of the major contributors to Monaco who had transfers before the 2017/2018 season:

  1. Kylian Mbappe 153 million pounds to PSG
  2. Bernardo Silva 43 million pounds to Manchester City
  3. Benjamin Mendy 52 million pounds to Manchester City
  4. Tiemoue Bakayoko 40 million pounds to Chelsea
  5. Thomas Lamar 52 million pounds to Atletico Madrid
  6. Joao Moutinho 5 million pounds to Wolves
    These were all key players in Monaco's run, which hurt their success in the following year. They finished second in Ligue 1 behind PSG by a whopping 13 points. One would think that they would try and regroup their roster after so many transfers, in fact they did the opposite. Star midfielder, Fabinho, transferred the following year to Liverpool for a fee of 39 million pounds as well as other key contributors of what was left of their dream 2016/2017 season.

The Future
    There is seemingly a clear disparity in world football between clubs who develop their own talent and sell them to larger clubs, and the clubs with the most money who buy players who are already reaching their potential. That being said, do you think that these smaller clubs are only in the business of making money off their talent, or do you think that they genuinely want to grow the club and win trophies?

Sources:

https://talksport.com/football/479498/monaco-players-bernardo-silva-benjamin-mendy-kylian-mbappe-whatsapp-group-transfer-mercato/ 


Comments

  1. Jake LaFrenzMarch 11, 2024 at 3:57 AM

    I think it is inevitable that larger clubs will pull talent from smaller clubs. Large clubs have massive amounts of money that can be used to acquire talents from smaller teams. I do not think that this means smaller clubs just want to make money off of their talent. They want to build good teams that win in order to bolster the club as a whole. Small clubs are striving to become big clubs and the best way to become a big club is to win titles. Smaller clubs can also use this money gained from their talent to acquire more talent and build a team that may be able to win titles and trophies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wonder Kids of World SportMarch 12, 2024 at 8:48 AM

      I totally agree that small clubs are doing their best to strive to be big clubs. This just becomes hard to do when their players that give them chances to win and make money are constantly leaving. I think a great example of this has been Napoli in the last couple of years.

      Delete
  2. Haydn SirokaMarch 11, 2024 at 8:33 AM

    The AS Monaco 2016/2017 season was a highlight in the club's history, winning the Ligue 1 title and reaching the Champions League semi-finals. This success was driven by a young, talented squad, including Bernardo Silva and Kylian Mbappe. However, the subsequent transfer window saw significant departures, affecting the team's performance. This situation raises a broader question about the objectives of smaller clubs in football's economic landscape: are they primarily focused on developing talent for profit, or is their goal to build competitive teams to win trophies?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wonder Kids of World SportMarch 12, 2024 at 8:50 AM

      I think any clubs primary focus is always to win with the largest incentive being money made from winning. However, if winning becomes less likely they are going to resort to selling players to make money.

      Delete
  3. Logan GornbeinMarch 11, 2024 at 11:58 AM

    The case of AS Monaco's 2016/2017 squad represents a broader trend in football where smaller clubs develop talent and then sell them to more extensive, wealthier clubs. While it's clear that such transactions are financially beneficial, it doesn't necessarily mean these clubs lack the ambition to grow and win trophies. Instead, these sales are often part of a sustainable business model that allows them to reinvest in new talent and infrastructure, aiming to create a cycle of success. However, the challenge lies in maintaining competitive performance while managing frequent player turnover. -Logan Gornbein

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wonder Kids of World SportMarch 12, 2024 at 8:52 AM

      I totally agree and I really like the point you made about it being a sustainability issue for many of the smaller clubs. They simply do not have the money like other clubs because they do not win as much. I think that creating a balance between ambition for winning and financial stability is something that many smaller clubs really struggle with.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Does Barcelona have another Messi?

Image
  At just 16 years and 87 days old, Lamine Yamal Nasraoui has already secured his place in the history books, becoming the youngest goalscorer in La Liga history. His journey from the prominent La Masia academy to making significant impacts in UEFA Champions League matches has been nothing short of spectacular. Yamal's early career mirrors the trajectory of Lionel Messi, who also rose from La Masia to global stardom. Lionel Messi's legacy at Barcelona is legendary, making any comparison with the Argentinian   legend a tall order. However, Yamal's technical prowess, vision on the field, and scoring ability have inevitably drawn parallels. Like Messi, Yamal possesses a unique blend of innate talent and a fierce determination to succeed. Messi debuted for Barcelona at 17, quickly establishing himself as one of the world's best. Yamal, on the other hand, has started making his mark even earlier, showcasing a maturity and skill level beyond his years. Messi was known for bre...
Read more

Is Victor Wembanyama the new face of the NBA?

Image
                                     Is Victor Wembanyama the new face of the NBA? European Chapter Victor was born in Paris, France where his basketball journey started and began to work hard on his craft to develop into the the basketball start that he is today. Victor was always the tallest on the court when playing in Europe imposing fear into his opponents but not only was his height a problem but his guard like skills in a big man body him set him aside from the rest of the competition in Europe. His journey started in France when he played for multiple teams such as Nanterre 92, ASVEL, Metroplitans, and the French national team as well where he ended up setting the FIBA record for blocks per game. He quickly became a centerpiece n international tournaments, showcasing his talent against top European teams. His performances on these stages quickly went viral internationall...
Read more