Monaco are not like other clubs. PSG, Marseille and Lyon boast raucous home fans, splurge on marquee signings and all proudly claim to be the biggest and best club in Ligue 1. Monaco, however, averaged the lowest home gates in Ligue 1 last season and, since signing James Rodríguez and Radamel Falcao five years ago, they have based their success on selling their best players rather than haughtily parading big-name signings. Spearheaded by the club’s hardball negotiator-in-chief, Vadim Vasilyev, their unerring transfer policy has long been the basis of their success. This summer, however, they might finally have made mistakes.

Since Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev acquired the club in 2011, when they were floundering in Ligue 2, Monaco have worked in cycles. The plan has been to sign younger players from Ligue 1 and cost-effective overseas markets – primarily Portugal (João Moutinho, Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa). Those bourgeoning talents are then played alongside a sprinkling of older pros and developed over a handful of seasons until an eye-catching achievement raises their market value.

Spurs suffer, spitting in Serie A and corner umbrellas – Football Weekly Read more

Their run to the Champions League quarter-finals in 2015 was the culmination of Anthony Martial, Yannick Carrasco and Geoffrey Kondogbia’s generation and the title triumph in 2017 hastened the departures of Kylian Mbappé, Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva. Maintaining a level of success is crucial to this model. Thanks to the masterful management of Leonardo Jardim, who has continually balanced the requirements of improving his players and finding a way to win, that goal has always been achieved. Routine entry to the Champions League also keeps Monaco’s squad at the forefront of Europe’s footballing consciousness and helps bring in funds.

Having stayed at the club to help secure second place last season – an achievement in itself – the final few sellable title winners were allowed to go, leaving Vasilyev with a new team to build. That process has been close to disastrous. Monaco have picked up just five points from five league games so far this season and now their horribly inexperienced, raw and naive side are preparing for the visit of Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. They look unlikely to fare well in the Champions League this season or finish high enough in Ligue 1 to qualify for next year’s competition.

Monaco’s recruitment policy has shifted from targeting players on the cusp of realising their potential to simply signing promising youngsters. While 22-year-olds Aleksandr Golovin and Samuel Grandsir fit the old mould, high-profile teenagers Pietro Pellegri (17), Sofiane Diop (18) and Willem Geubbels (17) do not. The three forwards had just nine senior outings between them at the start of the campaign. Although their talent is obvious, they remain longer-term investments who are not ready for the responsibility Thomas Lemar and Fabinho assumed upon their arrivals.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Players such as Kylian Mbappé and Tiémoué Bakayoko – seen here knocking Manchester City out of the Champions League – have not been replaced adequately. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters

Across previous generations, Monaco found the balance they needed to maintain momentum. As the previous cycle began, the experience of João Moutinho, Kamil Glik and Radamel Falcao complemented the developing talents of Thomas Lemar, Fabinho and Mendy, all of whom had considerable top-flight experience. Youth has become the focus of Monaco’s recruitment policy; 11 of the 18 players selected for their 1-1 draw at Toulouse on Saturday were 23 or under. These youngsters dearly missed the calming influence of João Moutinho, who joined Wolves this summer.

The £30m spent on Keita Baldé now seems misguided; Youri Tielemans, added last summer alongside Baldé, remains little more than promising; Jean-Eudes Aholou, a 24-year-old midfielder signed from Strasbourg, looks a little out of his depth. A previously mutually beneficial connection with super-agent Jorge Mendes led to the signing of midfielder “Pelé” from Rio Ave, reportedly upon the Portuguese deal-maker’s persistent request. The hope was that Mendes would send one of his top players Vasilyev’s way later in the window, but that assumption proved incorrect. Jardim is apparently so displeased with Pelé that he was open to the player leaving on loan before the summer window closed.

Schalke adrift without a point as Champions League looms into view | Andy Brassell Read more

Full-back continues to be a problem position. Djibril Sidibé’s fitness concerns have prevented his sale and led to the signing of Benjamin Henrichs from Bayer Leverkusen for an uncharacteristically costly £18m. Promising full-back Almamy Touré was in line to become first choice this summer but, with Sidibé and Henrichs at the club, he is refusing to sign a new deal and will probably leave next summer for free. A deal for Toulouse defender Issa Diop – an affordable, developing player with Ligue 1 smarts who would have fitted the policy that had been so profitable for Monaco – fell through and he eventually joined West Ham.

In previous seasons, Jardim has found a way to achieve the club’s goals without a huge outlay, but he may not have the tools at his disposal to repeat the feat this season. Monaco, who rose sharply from the foot of Ligue 2 at Christmas 2011 and became Ligue 1 winners five and a half years later largely thanks to considered, astute coaching, scouting and administration, are now on the brink of a dramatic fall as a result of the failings of the same hierarchy. With whispers abound that Rybolovlev is considering his continued investment in the club, the Monaco project may have already seen its peak.

The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.

Talking points

• PSG will be happy with their comprehensive 4-0 win over Saint-Étienne, especially having been deprived of Neymar and Kylian Mbappé. Questions must be asked of Jean-Louis Gasset’s improvised tactics. Without experienced duo Mathieu Debuchy and Rémy Cabella through injury, the Saint-Étienne manager opted to play a 3-4-3 with Kévin Monnet-Paquet and Gabriel Silva as wing-backs. Neither player impressed, with Monnet-Paquet in particular being embarrassed by Julian Draxler. Gasset’s 4-2-3-1 was solid and reliable at the end of last season so, even without Debuchy and Cabella, he was rash to change things.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ángel Di María scored for PSG in their 4-0 win over Saint-Étienne on Friday night. Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

• Nantes spent heavily, by their standards, this summer. Marquee signings Anthony Limbombe and Lucas Evangelista have impressed and look good value for their fees, but manager Miguel Cardoso is struggling to wring the best from his side tactically. Despite a surfeit of attackers, he played a negative 4-3-3 even at home to promoted Reims, with Limbombe and Gabriel Boschilia only featuring from the bench. Edouard Mendy did impress in goal for Reims, but Nantes have only scored five goals in as many matches. If they don’t become more clinical in attack, Cardoso will come under fire – and not without some justification.

• Nîmes played the entertainers again on Sunday in a 3-3 draw at Bordeaux. They have been full of attacking verve so far this season but Umut Bozok, scorer of 24 goals in Ligue 2 last season, had struggled until Sunday. He scored and set up a goal on Sunday to finally make his mark in the top flight. As thrilling as Nîmes have been, they could reach another level if the 21-year-old continues to improve.

Quick guide Ligue 1 results Show Hide Nice 2-1 Rennes, PSG 4-0 St Étienne, Caen 2-2 Lyon, Amiens 2-3 Lille, Dijon 1-3 Angers, Montpellier 1-1 Strasbourg, Toulouse 1-1 Monaco, Nantes 0-0 Reims, Bordeaux 3-3 Nîmes, Marseille 4-0 Guingamp Photograph: Georges Gobet/AFP

• This is an article from Get French Football News

• Follow Adam White and Get French Football News on Twitter