Paris Saint-Germain's failure to effectively integrate their academy products into the first team is well-documented by now. Despite boasting one of the best football catchment areas in the world, not since Presnel Kimpembe has a homegrown player been able to break through and establish themselves at Parc des Princes, with the likes of Kingsley Coman, Christopher Nkunku and Moussa Diaby having left before thriving elsewhere.
That conveyor belt of talent is not slowing down, however, and if the past 12 months is anything to go by, then perhaps the greatest prospect of them all is about to introduce himself to the world.
Warren Zaire-Emery became one of the darlings of the global youth scouting community during the 2021-22 season as he produced dominant midfield displays for both club and country.
Despite only turning 16 in March, Zaire-Emery was a star of the PSG team that thrilled during their run to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Youth League before shining for France as they won the Under-17s European Championship in June.
Despite playing against opponents who were at times three or four years older than him during that Youth League run, Zaire-Emery was able to dictate matches from his deep-lying midfield role with relative ease.
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His physical strength certainly helped with that, but it was his technical ability that truly set him apart, and is something that has been evident from a very early age.
"I had gone to Trappes for a tournament with my cousin, and I had brought Warren with me," Zaire-Emery's father, Franck, explained to RMC Sport about his son's early steps in the game.
"There was a ball coming towards me, and I clipped a 30-yard pass in the air towards Warren, who cushioned the ball on his chest as if he had been practising it every day.
"Me and my cousin looked at each other and we said: ''That's not bad at all!'"
Franck was actually a coach himself, albeit of an amateur side in the Parisian district of Seine-Saint-Denis, and would regularly allow Warren to join in training sessions.
"I had the adult players do drills and sometimes when they couldn't do it right, I would ask Warren to show them how to do it, even though he was only nine years old!" he recalled.
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It was at around that time that Zaire-Emery was enrolled into the PSG academy, and he was quickly promoted to play with the Under-11s after finding life around players of his own age far too straightforward.
"We felt that him being there was becoming counterproductive for the team, because when the ball was lost, Warren compensated for everything, rebalanced everything and the other players made less effort," Bafode Diakite, one of Zaire-Emery's first coaches at PSG, told RMC.
"I had to remind the other players that Warren was not the firefighter on duty."
Zaire-Emery has continued to play above his age-group throughout his seven years at PSG, but it was his promotion to the U19s in the summer of 2021 that has led to him truly catching the eye.
His performances in the Youth League were some of the best of any midfielder in the competition, with perhaps his crowning moment coming when he was introduced off the bench with PSG 2-0 behind and down to 10 men after 55 minutes of their final group-stage clash with Club Brugge.
Only a win would guarantee progression to the last 16, and Zaire-Emery stepped up, scoring one and assisting another while offering defensive cover and a stability to the PSG's midfield that had previously been missing as they came back to record a famous 3-2 victory.
"He is right-footed, but he can play with both feet. He has a very good first touch, which is one of his main strengths," a scout from a major European club told GOAL when looking for an expert's view on Zaire-Emery.
"He is comfortable regardless of which way he is facing, which is important given he can play as a No.6 or No.8. He is a boy who has precision accuracy and an excellent weight of pass. He manages to find difficult passing angles, regardless of whether they are short or long balls.
"He also has great finishing ability and a quality of shot from outside the box, which means he can be an offensive threat. He is a very complete player, and a constant figure throughout games he plays in."
That finishing ability was perhaps illustrated best by his stunning long-range strike in the semi-finals of the U17 Euros in Israel, as he fired in a 30-yard strike against Portugal before shining again in the final against the Netherlands.
So, what next? Zaire-Emery is set to spend the summer training with the PSG first team and travel to Japan with the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe for their pre-season camp.
Already having caught the eye of new manager Christophe Galtier's coaching team, it is expected that he will remain within the senior ranks for the 2022-23 campaign, even if he needs to drop down and play for the youth sides so as to ensure he remains match fit.
Off the field, there had been speculation regarding his future, with Bayern Munich one of the clubs who made it known that they would be keen to sign Zaire-Emery, but having switched agent to Jorge Mendes in late-2021, the teenager has just signed his first professional contract with PSG.
His commitment to the cause was further highlighted earlier this summer when he hired a personal trainer to join him on his holiday so as to ensure he is in peak physical condition for the start of the new campaign.
"I know a lot of young players and at his age, I've never seen one so serious off the pitch," one of Zaire-Emery's relatives tells GOAL. "He has received a good education and is a real hard worker with an impeccable lifestyle and a knowledge of how and when he needs to rest."
That knowledge will be put to the test as the expectations around Zaire-Emery continue to build, and though no guarantees have been made regarding playing time, it would not be a shock to see him earn his first senior minutes in 2022-23.
From there, PSG need to ensure they do not let this one get away. Losing Zaire-Emery due to a lack of opportunities in a couple of years would be the toughest pill they have had to swallow yet.
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