Arthur Zagre’s run with Paris Saint-Germain is one already forgotten by many. He made his official debut for the club last August as a substitute in a Ligue 1 home fixture against Toulouse. He played in 24 minutes of the match, and that was all PSG fans would see of him with the first-team, as the left-back departed from the club for AS Monaco later that month.
In an exclusive interview with the French magazine Onze Mondial, he went into great detail on why he decided it was best to leave the club after a mere one appearance.
“During the preparation, I spoke to my agent and my family, we were looking for a way out, because we wanted another club to have playing time,” Zagre said. “During all the preparation, we discussed it with the club, with the leaders who at the beginning did not agree. In the end, they left us. The signing in Monaco took place very quickly since they agreed late. That means that overnight I had to go to Monaco and sign.”
While his time with PSG was much shorter than many expected, he did have some fond memories. As the interview continued, Zagre credited one fixture in particular from his time in PSG’s youth system for his rise as a promising left-back.
“The match thanks to which I may be here today, against Barca in the Youth League,” Zagre said. “There was everyone for this match, I remember. I had a good match, and that day, the leaders of the PSG saw that I could play higher.”
Zagre also lauded PSG’s youth academy and its renowned training center.
“It is a training center that trains a lot of players,” Zagre said. “There is really a lot of quality. Above all, there is the advantage of having Ile-de-France, where there are a lot of players, and Paris repatriates a lot of them. Also, they have very good trainers, very good infrastructures, which allow them to train young people well.”
Zagre is coming off of a campaign with Monaco where he recorded just three appearances in all competitions. He is a prime candidate to have a bounce back campaign in the upcoming season.
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