PSG, Braga: Cher Ndour’s adventure takes an unexpected turn

A true supplier of talent, Benfica has become a cash machine by selling its best players at high prices. The Portuguese team certainly had this idea in mind when it unearthed Cher Ndour in 2020, a great hope in Italian football who played for San Giacomo, Brescia and Atalanta Bergamo. Some were already comparing him to the greatest when he arrived in Portugal, as Marco Martins, correspondent for Record. “In practice and when he was recruited, many saw him as Rui Costa, that is to say a number 10 who can play behind the attackers. We know that Rui Costa liked to shift to the left side. I think he's a bit like that. That’s the comparison we can make when he arrives at Benfica.” A club that believed a lot in him.

“At Benfica, Ndour was seen as a player with a future. He arrived very early, very young and he was already very popular. He started with the U19s then the B team before arriving with the A team. I find it very interesting in relation to his development. Both in U19 and in reserve, he was the playmaker, but more in a low point, in 8 and sometimes in 10 to try to carry the ball forward. He had this role of a young player but with responsibilities and he knew how to take them, especially during his last season. He scored 4 goals, played 30 matches and won the Youth League. It is not a coincidence. We needed a player who would make the difference. Although others were interesting, Ndour was one of the main elements. He was a leader despite his youth. Over his three seasons, he was in apprenticeship. But he really did two years of training.

A departure too quickly?

He pursues : “there was everything to continue like this (…) One more season and I think he could have earned his place. In the rotation, he would have been an option. It's hard to win among the three big Portuguese clubs. We need results right away.” Except that the native of Brescia, who was at the end of his contract and therefore in a position of strength, decided to look elsewhere. “I think he did not receive the offer from Benfica that he wanted to continue his development. Nowadays, you have to offer young players salaries which can be difficult for a club like Benfica to offer, especially when they are being courted. When you're hungry for more and others offer a project and a higher salary, it's hard to refuse. We offered him PSG, to rub shoulders with Mbappé, to be in the rotation (…) From what I heard, the fact of not having been released to participate in the U20 World Cup would also have hurt him” , Marco Martins explains to us.

Especially since Ndour was not subsequently used by Benfica, recalls the journalist. “If you don’t play the World Cup, you expect to play. Roger Schmidt almost didn't use him last year, he was in the rotation, on the bench trying to get minutes but he didn't get that many. He was waiting for more playing time. That’s what he lets shine through. Despite everything, usually, when a player refuses to extend his contract with Benfica, he is removed from all teams. Ndour was not really ruled out. Initially, perhaps. But he was quickly called back into the group.” Further proof that the Lisbon residents were still counting on the 19-year-old player, who decided to say yes to PSG on July 12. The Ile-de-France residents have made a real bet on the future with the footballer under contract until 2028.

Special management in Paris

Present during the pre-season, Ndour then suffered a series of disappointments. First of all, he was not included in the list of players selected by Luis Enrique to play in the Champions League. Then, he was content with crumbs, having played his first match on September 3 against OL. He entered the Groupama Stadium pitch for 5 minutes (4-1 victory). Then, he spent 9 minutes on the field against Strasbourg on October 21 (3-0 victory) before playing 14 minutes again on November 11 in Reims (3-0 victory). Even if he was not expected to play much due to the competition, Luis Enrique's particular management of him stood out. The Spaniard also explained: “he is a very young player, international with Italian hopes. It has very high level physical and technical conditions. He would start everywhere in L1. »

The Asturian then clarified: “but here, there is competition and it’s difficult to give him minutes. He's a marvel and an example of what a young player should be. He never missed a day in terms of technical and physical level. Knowing that he is not on the C1 list, he still trains professionally. He’s a player with a big future.” After a first start and a goal against Revel in the Coupe de France on January 7 (90 minutes played), Cher Ndour was sent on loan to Braga during the winter transfer window. A choice which is not synonymous with failure for Marco Martins. “You have to remember the context. He arrives in a team that changes enormously, he doesn't know anyone. He was on the bench so it was still an option. He played a few parts of the match and even scored a goal. They loaned him, but not just anywhere, to Braga which plays in European competitions. I think it’s a reasoned choice to lend him.”

An unclear loan to Braga

An opinion which is also that of the player. “I am very happy and motivated. I arrived at a large club, with a large structure and which invests a lot in training. I needed minutes and I think SC Braga is the ideal club for me. I know the championship and SC Braga is a team that plays good football, has a good style of play and I think it will be very good for me. I think quickly, I play as if I were with friends. I am very competitive and I always want to win every match. I hope to help the team win matches, do my best in the league and in the Europa League. I want to improve my individual performance and help the team achieve its goals. I would give anything for this jersey. You can always count on me on the pitch.” After words, it’s time to act. Since his arrival, the midfielder has played 7 matches in all competitions, but none as a starter (164 minutes played, 1 goal).

His record is rather average at the moment as Matthieu Monteiro, columnist at Golaço TV and video analyst. “At the start, he didn’t arrive as a starter. He made more entries into play, which were correct, that is to say nothing bad but nothing extraordinary either. He has an interesting profile and also arrived to take over from André Horta and Al-Musrati, to bring something that these two boys were capable of bringing, such as quality in transmissions, the ability to do progress the ball, both through passing, dribbling and driving. We expected him to be a midfielder who, through his actions with the ball, would make more differences and improve the team's play. We didn't have that. It is ultimately an environment of control, with little risk-taking. He did some good in recovery. But from the start, we ultimately had nothing extraordinary until the return match against Qarabag (3-2 victory).”

An uncertain future

A turning point in his loan. “He made a good start overall. He replaced Rodrigo Zalazar who, on this return, was catastrophic. But Ndour is a little passive on the free kick that Braga takes. Since then he hasn't played much, he has only made two appearances. I think it played a big role in people's minds. It's a moment of deconcentration that leaves you with a really bad image among decision-makers and staff. Since then, he has hardly played any more. It's true that the behavior during a match is that of a player on loan. You only value him for another club. So between the match against Qarabag and the fact that on the entries before that match there was not the feeling of a player so superior that he is essential and that he will really develop and increase drastically reduced the competitiveness of the team, particularly the team's capacity in midfield, Ndour did not give the impression of being able to take over after the departure of Al-Musrati, nor of being a counterpart to João Moutinho is a player capable of making real differences in the midfield to improve the team's play in construction.”

It's hard to imagine him continuing in Braga. “I think it was more of a market opportunity. Plus, with Al-Musrati gone, it was supposed to be an even more valid option. It is only on loan, with no purchase option. If I don't take into account the fact that João Moutinho is the captain in the middle now, that means that if you put him in you don't value a player like Vitor Carvalho or Rodrigo Zalazar, who are players belonging to the club and who are much more to be valued. They have a better knowledge of the team's game naturally. Ndour acts as the 4th midfielder in this hierarchy (…) His future is perhaps to have playing time. To start on the bench of course, to make a good impression and get some playing time and try to get some tenures because he has had none since his arrival. For next year, I don't know if it will involve a new loan to Braga. I think if it doesn’t work this year, the club won’t be in a hurry to take him.”

PSG made a bet

He pursues : “I think it’s a loan characteristic of the winter transfer window. It is not Braga's policy to take players without having a long-term option, especially for a young man like him. So if it doesn't work in Braga, I don't think it will work in Paris, at least not right away. This will surely involve a new loan.” It is certainly a long-term investment for Paris which will perhaps reap the rewards for Marco Martins. “It’s not a casting error or a flop, it’s a market opportunity like Xavi Simons. Young players with a future, who are good at their ages. We don't know if they will succeed but they arrive for 0 euros. Either they will bring in money, or they will explode and provide all the guarantees to join the first team. It’s a sporting choice that will provide added value.”

He concludes : “Ndour arrived in the middle, in a sector often criticized at PSG. But when you look closely, Luis Enrique has a lot of options. He also did not launch any youngsters since Bradley Barcola played at OL, Warren Zaire-Emery had minutes with Christophe Galtier. Lucas Beraldo started in São Paulo. It’s the small step that Ndour is missing. He must gain experience elsewhere before playing in Paris. At Benfica, he was split between the U19s, the U23s, the B team then the A. He did not play a full year with the pros. He was polished by Benfica but above all trained by Atalanta. You have to finish polishing it with a full season. It's not a flop and it won't be one at PSG. If he doesn't play, he will be sold. PSG will always be a winner with this player.” A player picked up for free and who has the potential to do interesting things. The ball is in his court.