Prince Albert of Monaco has told Canal+ he would have preferred Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez to have stayed with the Ligue 1 club this season.
Falcao, 28, joined Manchester United on loan on deadline day while Monaco doubled the money they paid for James, 23, just a year earlier in selling him to Real Madrid for an estimated 90 million euros as last season's Ligue 1 runners-up changed strategic tack, plumping for bringing through promising youngsters rather than signing established stars.
The pair spent just a year in the principality, with Falcao only playing half of last season after sustaining a serious knee ligament injury in January, and the prince, 56, acknowledged the duo might have remained longer at the Stade Louis II.
"Of course we would have liked them to stay a little more, but I think the option of putting faith in certain youngsters is starting to create a squad that is beginning to understand each other," he explained.
After starting the campaign with a single win from their first five league games, Monaco have lost just once more in their following 10 competitive fixtures, and are unbeaten in three Champions League outings so far ahead of Wednesday's trip to Benfica.
The improvement in form has eased the pressure on Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim, who was a surprise appointment to replace Claudio Ranieri in the summer.
"It was a gamble that surprised everyone a little bit," Albert, who has a major influence in the club's decisions, said of Jardim's appointment. "The start was a little hesitant and difficult. The fact he doesn't speak either English or French well was a handicap at the start. But I think that now we're beginning to see a change, and that's positive.
"What was disappointing at the start is that the squad lacked togetherness, and the departure of some great players of course had something to do with that. We were struggling, and perhaps the coach was struggling to find the right setup at the right time.
"But the good start to the Champions League gave the squad momentum, and I think we're on the right track. I hope that will allow us to have a good season."