Football
Jonathan Johnson, PSG correspondent 7y

Paris Saint-Germain sign Kays Ruiz, 15, to youth contract

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that 15-year-old Kays Ruiz has signed a youth contract until 2020 with the French capital outfit.

Ruiz, who PSG signed from Barcelona on a pre-youth academy agreement upon his return to France in 2015 after the Spanish giants were punished for their illegal signings of multiple young players, is now tied to the Ligue 1 giants until 2020.

Ruiz, who hails from Lyon but was persuaded -- along with his family -- to join Les Parisiens over his hometown club by PSG chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi himself, is a budding playmaker and wears a No. 10 shirt at youth levels.

"The youth contract signed today marks a new stage in the training and progress of young Kays," a statement from the capital club read. "This contract also serves to deepen even further the bond of trust between him and his club of two years."

PSG also pointed out that Ruiz was called up to France's Under-16 side's August training camp at the prestigious National Football Centre in Clairefontaine -- reserved for the best young talent in the country.

The French giants have developed a nasty habit over the years of letting some of their best youth academy products leave without signings professional contracts.

Unai Emery's senior squad currently boasts the likes of midfielder Adrien Rabiot, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and defender Presnel Kimpembe -- all youth academy graduates -- and all three are regular members of the starting XI, particularly Rabiot and Areola.

Kylian Mbappe, although not a PSG youth product, hails from Bondy in the Paris region, but a number of highly rated prospects have left Parc des Princes in recent years without signing professional terms -- notably Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman.

In order to combat this leak of talent, PSG moved to appoint former player and coach Luis Fernandez as sporting director for the youth academy last month with the goal of convincing the stars of tomorrow -- along with assistant overall sporting director Maxwell -- to be patient for their chance at senior level.

Ruiz, it appears, is the first success for Fernandez and the popular television pundit will now switch his attention to other young starlets at PSG's Camp des Loges facility.

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