Leonardo still upset with Nianzou’s switch to Bayern Munich | OneFootball

The current French champions’ sporting director believes youngsters who leave Paris in search of game time often do not end up getting what they want

Leonardo, Paris Saint-Germain’s sporting director has hit out at academy players who decide to leave the club in search of first-team football after missing out at the Parc des Princes and says that it is just as hard for players to get regular game time at other clubs.

Leonardo references Tanguy Nianzou’s switch to Bayern Munich in the summer with the talented young defender finding minutes hard to come by in what has been an injury-riddled start to life in Bavaria.

Nianzou, who is just 18-years-old, has managed only 21 minutes for the reigning European and Bundesliga champions this campaign with constant hamstring problems plaguing his season.

Leonardo lashes out

Speaking to France Bleu Paris radio station the Brazilian made his feelings clear about players switching for greener pastures.

“Tanguy played with us in the Champions League and he has spent almost a year at Bayern Munich without playing,” he said.

“The problem is thinking that there is paradise elsewhere. They say ‘PSG lost a youngster’, but sometimes I think it is not PSG who lose, but the youngsters who leave PSG.”

Nianzou barely sighted for Bayern

Nianzou opted against a new deal with PSG and ultimately signed with Bayern Munich as a free agent after there was significant interest from a host of clubs all over the continent.

The youngster has found minutes difficult to come by this season with his single appearance coming on as a substitute in the second half of Bayern’s 3-1 Bundesliga win over Stuttgart way back in November.

It has not been his ability that has seen his minutes limited, rather injuries as severe muscle complaints have halted his progress and have kept him on the sidelines for months on end. He is now fully fit but has yet to feature in Bayern’s last three Bundesliga matches.