5 forgotten PSG academy graduates who became cult heroes elsewhere

Paris Saint-Germain has been a cradle of world-class players, even if not every individual achieved their full potential within the club.
For every homegrown star who shines at the club, there are many other talented players who develop their careers with external sides.
We've compiled a list of five Paris Saint-Germain players who went on to become cult heroes at their new clubs.
Nicolas Anelka
One of the most gifted young talents ever, Nicolas Anelka initially left Paris Saint-Germain in 1996 after just 12 appearances for the club, joining Arsène Wenger's Arsenal for £500,000.
After scoring twenty-eight goals and winning both the league and cup championships, Anelka had solidified his position as one of the top strikers in the world when Real Madrid made an offer, and he transferred to Spain for 23.5 million pounds.
PSG then brought Anelka back to France, but he arguably never lived up to his vast potential, and ultimately played for 12 different clubs during his career.
He was believed to be even more gifted than Thierry Henry. If Paris Saint-Germain had kept him, the course of his career may have been different.
Kingsley Coman
Arguably the greatest disappointment here, Coman left PSG as an 18-year-old, joining Juventus on a free transfer after making only four appearances in France, where he became the club's youngest player on record at the age of 16.
After only one season at Juventus, Coman transferred to Bayern Munich on an initial loan and then his career really took off.
At around his mid-twenties, Coman has achieved nearly all the honors available, and scored the decisive goal in the 2020 Champions League final...against PSG.
That must hurt.
Matteo Guendouzi
A notable name that may raise some eyebrows on the list, Guendouzi spent nearly a decade at PSG's youth academy but left to sign with FC Lorient in 2014.
After two action-packed seasons with Arsenal's main squad, the midfielder reframed his professional image in Marseille before transferring to Lazio last summer.
A skilled central midfielder with a tendency to cause disruption, Guendouzi could have been a viable alternative to other players PSG have fielded in this role in recent years.
Jonathan Ikone
The forward has had a decent professional life since his departure from PSG, even if he hasn't reached the same level of success as some of his former teammates.
The player netted once in 14 Ligue 1 appearances for the dominant Ligue 1 team, before being part of Lille's 2020-21 title-winning roster and now represents Fiorentina.
Ikone has even scored for the France national team, netting the fourth in a 4-1 win over Albania in September 2019. Not bad.
Odsonne Edouard
Edouard may not be on Kylian Mbappe's level, but he secured a Premier League move to Crystal Palace following an impressive scoring record of 88 goals at Celtic.
With his lightning-fast speed and lethal goal-scoring talent, the only direction for Odsonne Edouard is up, and his departure from Paris Saint-Germain in 2018 generated £9 million for the club.
The top talent in PSG’s academy was unable to make even a single appearance before he parted ways, showcasing the challenges that young players face in acquiring opportunities in Paris.
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