Having been discarded by Bordeaux in his youth academy days due to his small stature, Pierre Lees-Melou has had to take a long and sinuous road to the top. He bounced between local teams around his native Bordeaux until the age of 21, turning out for the likes of Mérignac and Lège-Cap-Ferret while holding down a job in a primary school. After a 19-goal campaign in the fifth tier with the latter team, and two successful trials, he joined Ligue 2 outfit Dijon at the age of 21.
The Burgundy side would earn promotion that year, and Lees-Melou would make the most of the top-flight stage the following campaign – scoring seven goals and earning a move to Nice. He would become a regular fixture for Les Aiglons over the following four seasons – even captaining the side on several occasions and turning out in the Europa League. Following a season-long stint in the Premier League with Norwich – during which he could not prevent the Canaries from finishing rock bottom – he returned to France in 2022, signing for Brest.
Now, the midfielder is arguably the linchpin of the overperforming Bretons, with Eric Roy’s men finding themselves in the running for a Champions League spot at the turn of the year. Lees-Melou’s versatility is arguably his key asset – he is just as adept playing on the edge of the box as he is in front of the defence.
Lees-Melou – L’Équipe’s highest-rated player in first-half of 2023/24 season
With Les Ty-Zefs, he is likely to be found in the latter position. “It’s a different role, one in which you are more at the start of the action than at the end of it, but I like it”, he told the official Ligue 1 website. His more conservative positioning has hardly stunted his output in front of goal, though – he finished last season on five goals and five assists in league action.
His sole strike so far this season, against Reims, encapsulated his box-to-box approach to the position – winning the ball deep in midfield, driving up the pitch with long strides, before unleashing a shot into the bottom corner. Despite his attacking instincts, the midfielder is able to sit back and bide his time, orchestrating build-up play and going into challenges with an aggression he credits to his time in England.
The 30-year-old was also the player with the highest average match rating from L’Équipe over the first half of the campaign. Whether Brest are able to stretch their impressive start to the season into a serious challenge for Europe remains to be seen – but it won’t be long until Lees-Melou’s talents are on display on the continental stage again.
