Kays Ruiz-Atil: 4 Things to Know About the Paris Saint-Germain Starlet
Paris-Saint Germain prospect Kays Ruiz-Atil could become the latest player to join Frank Lampard's youthful revolution at Chelsea.
The 17-year-old is reported to be in talks with the Blues having become frustrated with PSG's failure to offer him a new deal - which expires next year as it stands.
According to L'Equipe, the midfielder has also been disappointed by the lack of first-team opportunities at the Parc de Princes, despite his tender age. Ruiz-Atil's family are understood to be receptive to Chelsea's interest, though the player himself would be happy to remain with the Parisians if they could offer him a clear route into the senior set up.
Lampard has developed a reputation for trusting young players recently with Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Reece James, to name a few, all breaking into the first-team setup this season. This is likely to work in the Blues' favour with negotiations ongoing.
But anyway, what's all the fuss with this kid? 90min had a look back over his career to find out.
What's His Story?
Born in Lyon in 2002 - man, that makes us feel old - Ruiz-Atil was snapped out by Barcelona at the age of seven.
After spending six years training at the revered La Masia academy, he moved to PSG in 2015 - though that's not the full story.
The youngster was forced to depart the club after Barça were found to have breached FIFA's regulations regarding the transfer of Under-18 players.
PSG's signing of Ruiz-Atil was not straightforward either, with the club also accused of flouting the rules in 2018 - though no legal challenge was ever put against them.
Where Does He Play?
He's a versatile young man, capable of slotting in in centre-midfield as well as playing as a number ten.
His performance in the latter position while at Barcelona earned him a reputation as the 'Next Lionel Messi'. Not the first and certainly not the last player to be lazily handed this moniker.
What Experience Does He Have?
Errrrrrr, not a lot to be honest.
Over the past two seasons, Ruiz-Atil has made 11 appearances in the UEFA Youth League for PSG's Under-19 side. He's never made the first team squad under Thomas Tuchel however. The highlight of his current campaign was scoring a free kick against hometown club Lyon in the last 16 of the Coupe Gambardella - France's premier youth cup.
He's played for France at youth level but is also eligible to represent Morocco due to his family's heritage. We expect there to be quite the tussle for his international allegiance in the not so distant future.
Anything Else Interesting?
He's got nearly 100,000 Instagram followers, which is pretty impressive for a 17-year-old who's never played for the first team. Adidas were quick to notice his marketability and signed him up at just 13 years old. Unbelievable.
Fair play though and you have to admit, some of the photoshoots he's been involved with already are pretty cool.