Warren Zaïre-Emery (17) has experienced a meteoric rise in the past 12 months, not only breaking into the Paris Saint-Germain first-team but also earning his first call-up to the France squad for the upcoming international break.
Zaïre-Emery has become the youngest Frenchman to be called up to the national team since Maurice Gastiger in 1914. At Clairefontaine, the ‘Titi Parisien’ joins up with PSG teammate Kylian Mbappé (24), who like Zaïre-Emery made an early breakthrough into Les Bleus’ squad. Whilst Mbappé was slightly older than Zaïre-Emery when he received his first call-up, he earned it in fewer professional matches. He needed just 41 matches at AS Monaco to earn Didier Deschamps’ call, whilst Zaïre-Emery needed 45.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Le Parisien, former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has said that Zaïre-Emery reminds him of Mbappé, who has since gone on to captain Les Bleus. “We’re speaking of a boy gifted with super talent. He has blossomed exceptionally early. That’s why he’s been called up by Didier. When, at 17, your manager at club level chooses you as one of the first names on the teamsheet, that implies that you exude something that is unstoppable. To some extent, he makes me think of Kylian Mbappé in the sense that people are already unanimous on him, at an age where, in general, everyone says: ‘he’s talented, yes, but let’s see’,” said Wenger.