Crystal Palace Forward Unveils Complex Factors Behind PSG Departure

Crystal Palace striker Odsonne Edouard is one of the many Paris Saint-Germain youth products who needed to leave the French capital for greener pastures. Despite likely loving the Ligue 1 giants, Edouard knew he wouldn’t get minutes and further his career.

The 25-year-old recently spoke to Crystal Palace’s official website. He noted the “very complicated” situation that eventually led to him leaving PSG in 2017.

“At that time, it was very complicated to establish myself on the Paris Saint-Germain attack front,” Edouard said (h/t Glasgow Times). “Zlatan Ibrahimovic, then Edinson Cavani piled up the goals! 

“When I returned to the club, the coach told me that he was not counting on me because he had recruited Hatem Ben Arfa and Jesé in attack, more experienced players. So I decided to try my luck elsewhere, which is how I signed for Celtic FC.”

Edouard eventually landed with Celtic FC, where he made a name for himself. The Frenchman made 179 appearances for the Scottish giants, scoring 87 goals and registering 38 assists.

PSG’s shift in transfer policy, where they attempt to hold onto top talents from their youth academy, took effect this past summer. The Parisians want to avoid losing their players and seeing them flourish elsewhere.

Additionally, Warren Zaïre-Emery is the face of this change. Despite being 17 years old, the decision to feature him consistently in the starting 11 is already beginning to pay off. Hopefully, in the future, there will be more cases like his.