Trained at PSG, Youssouf Mulumbu (38 years old) reflects on his time in the capital and analyzes PSG for the 2024-2025 season. Proud to see players from the training center like Senny Mayulu or Presnel Kimpembe succeed at the highest level, he believes the club has found the right staff and philosophy by focusing more on Parisian talents.
Some players trained at PSG succeed… others struggle. This was somewhat the case for Youssouf Mulumbu. For Top Mercato, the player reflects on his career in Paris. Only 22 matches between 2006 and 2009. He admits that he lacked maturity at the time and that he “fell asleep on his laurels.”
“The problem was more with me. I may not have made all the efforts. I didn’t realize all the efforts I needed to make to establish myself at PSG. I think there was a moment when I thought it was already secured since I had already signed professionally. I think at PSG, I had somewhat fallen asleep on my laurels.”
His departure to England was a positive turning point, becoming an important figure at West Bromwich Albion for six seasons in the Premier League, where he notably remembers the memorable 5-5 draw against Manchester United in 2013.
A transfer to OM was close…
He also mentions the players who left an impression on him: Makelele, M’Bami, and Pauleta at PSG; Odemwingie and Lukaku at WBA. Mulumbu finally shares a surprising anecdote: a potential transfer to OM fell through… because of him, after he too quickly revealed the discussions to a journalist.
“There’s an anecdote where I’m at Norwich and Franck Passi calls me to see if I would be interested in Olympique de Marseille. I was so excited that I shared the news with a journalist and the information got out everywhere when it was supposed to remain secret. There’s a story of agents getting involved and, subsequently, the deal fell through because of me. I would have liked it. It would have been strange as a Parisian at heart and in training. But it was a challenge I would have liked at the time. I would have needed to adapt, of course, but it would have been interesting to return to France,” he says.
After stints in Scotland and a final experience in Orléans, he now dedicates himself to his family and writing, with the release of his novel Talo.
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