At 16, Arthur Bar has moved from Paris Saint-Germain’s academy pitches to the edge of the first-team spotlight in a matter of days. The Paris-born goalkeeper has been selected as PSG’s third keeper for Saturday night’s meeting with Le Mans at the Parc des Princes, kicking off at 20:45.
Bar is normally the No. 1 for the club’s Under-17 side and had stood sixth in the senior goalkeeping order. Yet a chain of absences and youth-team commitments has opened an unexpected route into the professional squad.
Quick facts
- Arthur Bar, 16, joined PSG in the summer of 2024.
- He will be behind Lucas Chevalier and Matvei Safonov against Le Mans.
- The goalkeeper is part of France’s 2010 age group, although he has not been called up since May 2025.
- Standing above 1.95m, Bar is regarded as one of the more promising goalkeepers in PSG’s academy.
- He has played two Under-17 matches and three Under-19 games this season.
Italian summer signing Alessandro Longoni, usually PSG’s third goalkeeper, has been sidelined for several weeks. Arthur Vignaud, who signed professional terms last summer, is with the development side as it prepares for Wednesday’s Youth League trip to Manchester City.
Adam Mouak, 17, had filled the extra goalkeeper role before the international break, but the Morocco youth international is away with his country’s Under-18 squad. When the senior players returned to training on Wednesday, Bar was brought across from the academy.
The decision surprised some within the youth set-up, not because of doubts over his potential but because of the scale of the leap. Last season, Bar was Mouak’s understudy at Under-17 level; this term he has moved between the Under-17s, Under-19s and the Espoirs, where he has been Vignaud’s deputy in the Youth League.
The transition has not been entirely smooth. Bar conceded 11 goals in his three Under-19 appearances, underlining the demanding pace of his accelerated progression through the age groups.
His physical tools have nevertheless made an impression. Tall and strong on his line, Bar has been viewed internally as a keeper with the reach and presence to make decisive saves.
There remains clear work to do, especially with the ball at his feet. His handling of pressure, speed of execution and distribution are areas still developing, qualities particularly important in the senior side’s game.
But his first session with the professionals was enough to win approval. Quiet by nature and currently on an academy contract, Bar settled quickly among the senior players after only one training session.
Should the teenager be asked to perform the traditional initiation song in the coming days, he may be less nervous than most. In the spring, Bar won PSG’s academy public-speaking competition — another sign that Saturday’s sudden elevation may not overwhelm him.
