With three goals across both Ligue 1 and the French Cup, no other French player in Europe’s top 5 leagues has scored more in 2023 than the 20-year-old. While the new year is still in its infancy, the U20 French international has engineered a fine run of form that dates back to the last couple of games before the World Cup break. The Stade de Reims player (on loan to PSG) registered one goal and two assists across November’s two league fixtures.

The international break seems to have done him no harm either, as he relaunched his season with a goal in each of PSG’s three January games: one consolation goal against RC Lens in PSG’s shock 3-1 defeat on New Year’s Day, one goal against LB Châteauroux in a Coupe de France win last Friday, and then the fifth-minute opener against Angers last night.

The striker will look to continue his fine run of form throughout the year. Perhaps he will also get a chance to shine in PSG’s UCL round of 16 fixtures against Bayern Munich. Ekitiké appeared in the starting line-up for PSG’s final three group games, and his current tally in 2023 suggests that he has a strong claim to a place in the starting 11, especially given Kylian Mbappé’s (24) stated desire to be partnered with a more traditional #9 profile, which Ekitiké represents. 

GFFN | Brendan Cox

Among this season’s emerging cohort of young French talent, Lyon’s teenage right-back Malo Gusto is one of the more unusual prospects. Firstly, he barely resembles a typical full-back. Tall and rangy with the swagger and technique of a number 10, Gusto often gives the impression of a right-sided midfielder being asked to fill in. In fact, that’s not far from the truth.

Having started out as an attacking midfielder, Gusto was enlisted as an emergency full-back at OL’s academy with the age category above suffering from injuries. After a good performance, he’s stayed put. Gusto’s description of himself as an “offensive, hard-hitting, powerful, fast, technical player” is accurate.

At his best, the teenager, who looks anything but thanks to his goatee beard and wiry ponytail, is a pacey winger, confident and agile in possession with an ability to skip past opposition defenders and whip in threatening crosses.

However, as underlined in a naïve defensively display at Metz last week which contributed to two of Metz’s three goals, Gusto’s transition from skilful attacking midfielder to reliable defender remains in progress. Although his alertness, proactive style and ability to often neatly time his tackles is a promising combination, he remains, understandably, raw.

His decision-making in defensive scenarios, both on the ball and in challenges, can be erratic, leading to some wasteful passing in dangerous areas and rash tackling – he’s been fortunate not to concede more penalties.

In the unfortunate 2-1 defeat at PSG earlier this season, both sides of Gusto were seen. After a threatening attacking first half display, the teenager’s inexperience was cleverly targeted by Neymar and he was soon outmanoeuvred, conceding an admittedly controversial late penalty.

Although this holds the 18-year-old to impossibly high standards, given his age and inexperience, that game underlined major flaws in his defensive skillset. Although club captain and fellow right-back Léo Dubois’ form has evaporated this season, Peter Bosz has been too quick to opt for the risky Gusto option, contributing to Lyon’s downfall, both in Europe and domestically.

Nevertheless, Gusto’s potential remains thrilling. The swagger and technical ability that casts him more as a midfielder than a defender are highly reminiscent of Trent Alexander-Arnold. While areas of his game at both ends need refining (his crossing, in particular, is wildly inconsistent) he possesses all the raw materials to become one of the continent’s leading right-backs. Next season could see a breakthrough.

GFFN Weekly

Michut has only made four substitute appearances throughout the campaign, registering one assist. L’Équipe states that his absence from the matchday squad to face Troyes FC on Sunday, a match on which nothing was riding, has convinced the young Frenchman that his future lies away from his formatory club. 

Although he has a contract which runs until June 2025, Michut is now seeking a permanent transfer away from the Parc des Princes. Sevilla is the player’s preferred option, although several clubs of a similar stature are also coveting the French U19 international. 

L’Equipe report that it will cost around €8 million to prise him away from Paris. 

In fairness, the 21-year-old only made the journey from Senegal to France in October 2020. The move came a year after Marseille solidified a partnership with Dieng’s club, FC Diambars, a Senegalese side founded in 2003 by Patrick Vieira. In 2019, Diambars were returning to the Senegalese first division after relegation two seasons earlier, Dieng had joined in 2014, aged 14. Three years later he was starting for the first team, scoring 12 league goals in the 2019/20 campaign – 67% of Diambars’ total goal output. Dieng was on course to finish as the league’s top scorer before the pandemic abruptly ended the season.

Dieng played upfront and was described by Senegalese paper Enquête as the ‘architect’ of Diambars’ attack, adding to a variety of comparisons and conflicting descriptions that have been attributed to Dieng throughout his short career so far. Former Liverpool and Senegal forward El Hadji Diouf compared Dieng to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba but Drogba disagreed, saying it was a little early for comparisons and that “when I see his performances, I say to myself that he has pep and he’s skilful in front of goal”.

At 5’8 with electric pace, Dieng’s style can feel more reminiscent of fellow Senegalese forward Sadio Mane’s as evidenced by his debut Marseille goal against Auxerre in a February 2021 Coupe de France tie. With Auxerre pushing for an equaliser, Dieng was put through on goal and held off a recovering defender before firing low in at the near post. Dieng ended last season with just 127 minutes of Ligue 1 action, with that being his only goal in 2020/21. Although he quietly impressed during his first Ligue 1 start in a 3-2 win over Nice, those humble figures make his recent explosion even more surprising.

At the start of September, Dieng was handed a start against Monaco with Dimitri Payet and Arkadiusz Milik injured. Despite the untold complexities of Marseille’s 3-2-4-1 system, Dieng scored twice in a man of the match performance as part of a 2-0 win.  Both strikes were outstanding. Dieng pulled wide for his first after a long lofted pass from Luan Peres. After beating Axel Disasi to the ball, Dieng jetted into the box before an accurate finish at Alexander Nübel’s near post. His second came after originally losing control of the ball as Amine Harit carried it into the box, sliding it into Dieng’s feet. Dieng rolled his marker before firing into the near post. Ironically, the strike was reminiscent of Drogba, particularly his ability to bounce a marker under pressure.

Still, with less than 340 minutes of Ligue 1 football played, it’s hard to build a solid picture of Dieng’s abilities. From what we can tell though, Dieng is a shot-heavy player. He’s averaging just under four per 90 league minutes, which would put him in the company of strikers like Harry Kane. Despite a tendency to pull wide, Dieng has only completed three dribbles in six appearances, reinforcing the idea that he is more forward than midfielder or winger. Footage of his days at Diembars also shows his shots were so powerful they often left goalkeepers rooted while, regardless of where he’s deployed, Dieng’s illusive movement has been particularly impressive.

Whether he plays upfront or on the left hand side of Jorge Sampaoli’s constantly evolving system, Dieng will face competition. Konrad de la Fuente, Amine Harit and especially Dimitri Payet have all started the 2021/22 season in good form but Dieng has the backing of his coach. “He has a lot of explosiveness and a good quality of shot. He’s a player with great potential for the club,” said Sampaoli when asked about putting Dieng straight into the first team.

Time will tell just how effective Dieng can continue to be. Despite goals being hard to come by since that Monaco victory, the signs are positive. We are at the beginning of what will undoubtedly be an interesting career. Bamba Dieng could become an asset not only for Marseille, but also for Les Lions de la Teranga.

AB

Now a flying full-back by trade, Gusto started out as an attacking midfielder but was, by chance, converted to right-back in his earlier teens. “At the start it was to compensate for injuries in the age category above,” Gusto told Lyon’s website. “The coach put me in at right-back and I had a good match, since then my position hasn’t changed.” However, as Gusto admits, it wasn’t what he wanted. “At the beginning it was complicated for me, and for my father too. He has always seen me on the offensive side and he now saw me staying back,” Gusto explained. “But it’s still football, if you study the role well, you’ll progress quickly.”

As a fairly recently converted right-back, Gusto lacks the slightly angular, functional technique of a lot of career full-backs and instead plays with the swagger and forward thinking verve of an attacking midfielder. Rather than the waspish persistence of a modern right-back who may look to overlap, exchange passes in-field or head to the bye-line and cross, while Gusto does those things too, the 18-year-old is all shimmies and drops of the shoulder. Being taller than the archetypal full-back at 5’9 (Jordi Alba, for example, is 5’6) and broader too, Gusto carries an understated physicality, and still has a way to mature. However, his scraggly pony-tail and goatee beard already make Gusto look far older than 18.

That imposing figure – Gusto’s Twitter profile picture features him lifting large weights – older looking features and a supreme confidence in possession gives Gusto a sense of maturity, that he’s been around for some time. Despite only making six outings for Lyon’s senior side so far, Gusto is remarkably assured. Although early on against Strasbourg earlier this month he made a couple of mistakes in possession, Gusto rapidly grew into the game and was, behind lynchpin Bruno Guimarães, OL’s standout performer that evening in a 3-1 win. Gusto’s own description of his style as an “offensive, hard-hitting, powerful, fast, technical player” was again proven correct.

Despite his attacking roots, Gusto has adapted well to the defensive side of the game and is similarly pro-active around his own penalty area as when marauding forward. He’s not afraid to make a lunging intervention or impose himself on the opposition – as competing with Strasbourg’s bulky centre-back Alexander Djiku from corners showed. That tackle first, ask questions later style of defending relies heavily on timing and, as one barely passable last ditch challenge on Strasbourg striker Kevin Gameiro underlined, it could soon get Gusto in trouble. A deceptive turn of pace and a burgeoning ability to read play, however, will help but the player concedes: “I know I still have to work on my defensive positioning.”

Although France international full-back Léo Dubois remains Lyon’s first choice, Gusto’s impressive pre-season covering for the holidaying Dubois following EURO 2020 and an assured start this term with the senior man out injured, he has garnered incoming Lyon coach Peter Bosz’s trust. As an already more than able understudy, he’ll likely be afforded significant game time this term with Ligue 1 and Europa League commitments needing to be balanced as OL are expected to make a significant impact in both.

“I like Malo, he played well,” said an enthused Bosz earlier this month. “He’s very young but he has a lot of talent. He must continue to learn, that’s what we’re here for. It’s normal that, at his age, he plays well sometimes and other times a little less well. He will only become more consistent, lose the ball less and make fewer mistakes. At 18 he doesn’t have as much experience as Léo. That’s not a problem. For me the most important thing is talent – and he has it.”

Having joined Lyon’s prolific academy from amateur club Bourgoin Jallieu in 2016, Gusto has long been highly regarded at OL. “I recall that he was with the under 19s last season,” said then OL coach Rudi Garcia last October. “We could see his potential, but it was much too early for him to reach the required level. He is still very young but if he confirms what we think of him, he can become a very good professional player in the future.”

Thanks to a responsible, considered attitude, as “a player who listens and is very pleasant” according to Garcia, Gusto is aware that he still has a long way to progress. “I’m trying to perform as well as possible,” he told OL TV. “I try to be as focused as possible, and to be consistent with what the coach has asked of us. I try to do my best.”

After the bizarre departure of Bard, Lyon have the chance to make up for their mistake. The 18-year-old’s talent and sky-high potential are obvious but he needs Lyon, unlike with Bard, to be generous with their trust and time. A recent contract extension to 2024 suggests that is the club’s plan.

Gusto’s physique, attacking verve, all-action defending and focused attitude, as well as the fact that all those attributes have a long way to develop, make the teenager a rare talent. With France’s right-back area a problem position, and 27-year-old Dubois able to fetch more than the €10m OL paid Nantes for his services three years ago, should the club be interested in selling, perhaps both club and country have an able, possibly superior, replacement waiting to step in. Lyon have the chance to make up for their mistake with Bard and Didier Deschamps will be hoping Peter Bosz and co don’t miss their opportunity.

AW

This is ground-breaking form for the 23-year-old, who only managed a single goal in 2019/20, his first season in France. It feels like Yazici has popped out of nowhere. However, the Turkish international is far more than just the latest starlet on the Lille conveyor belt.

Humble Beginnings

Yazici spent his youth in north-eastern Turkey, in Trabzonspor. At the age of 9, he was scouted and recruited by Trabzonspor, progressing through the academy until he was 17. He broke through to the senior side in the latter stages of the 2015/16 season.

Yazici made 6 league appearances that league campaign, mainly as a central midfielder. When he scored and assisted 4 goals against Rizespor on May 8th 2016, Yazici became the youngest player to score in Turkey that season.

Yazici would make 91 appearances over the next 3 years for Trabzonspor. The key moments begun in the 2017/18 season. Yazici scored 10 goals and made 5 assists. Interestingly, the only player who contributed more goals for Trabzonspor that season, was Burak Yilmaz. He scored 23 goals and assisted 3. The pair are now teammates at Lille.

According to Skor, a Turkish news outlet, at the beginning of the 2018/19 season, Yazici had his head swayed by transfer offers from Europe. 21 years old at the time, Yazici sat out eight weeks of the season. His goal and assist levels dropped to six contributions, as he had to regain the trust of the manager. This was one of the barriers Yazici has had to face in the last 2 years.

One thing that has remained clear since Yazici’s last season in Turkey is his versatility. In 30 appearances, Yazici appeared at central midfielder eight times, attacking midfielder seventeen times, right midfielder four times, and left midfielder once. Yazici showcased a talented, but raw skillset in Turkey. He was a superb finisher, but consistently attempted too many long shots.

After an exacerbated transfer saga, Yazici became Trabzonspor’s most expensive ever export. He left for Lille in summer 2019 for €19m. The clubs even agreed a 20% future sell-on clause, which could turn out to be a huge coup for the Turkish club.

Early Struggles

Yazici arrived in France along with Victor Osimhen, Renato Sanches and Benjamin Andre, as a part of the Nicolas Pépé money. Yazici though, had a nightmare start. As Get French Football News has reported consistently, Yazici had struggled to adapt to the physicality and pressing of Ligue 1. In Turkey, Yazici was usually given lots of time on the ball, but in France teams are more active out of possession.

It took Yazici nearly a month to start a game, a 2-0 victory against Strasbourg in late September. By this point, Galtier had spoken publicly of a behind the scenes struggle for Yazici.

“He left his country, his friends, and his family. He did not prepare well for the season, as it took a long time to come here. Yusuf has to digest the changes in his life right now and adapt to France. I am sure he will reveal his potential as soon as possible. “

The problem was that Yazici was still taking too many long shots. According to Understat, 56% of his shots came from outside of the box. 94% of his shots also came with his left foot, showing Yazici had much to improve on.

Galtier appeared to be proven right though. Despite contributing nothing in his first 10 appearances, Yazici grabbed 4 assists 1 goal in his next 8 league appearances. His underlying numbers had improved as well by late 2019. In a win against Dijon, Yazici completed 1 dribble, 2 key passes and 3 shots in 70 minutes, his biggest impact on a match yet. He was beginning to get used to French football.

Then, another hurdle tripped up the young Turk, as Yazici ruptured his cruciate ligament in December. He did not appear again for the rest of the curtailed 2019/20 Ligue 1 season.

Starting the season on fire

The COVID-19 pandemic appeared to be kind to the now 23-year-old Yazici. “The night is always darkest, just before the sun rises,” he recently explained. Yazici had been set to miss EURO 2020 due to his injury, but instead, he managed to use the time to quietly rebuild his strength and ability.

If the dark night was the 2019/20 season, then the sun has most definitely risen for Yusuf Yazici. Playing as a deep-lying-forward, Yazici has finally found consistency. Interestingly, Yazici has found more success in Europe, an area where players generally struggle. Yazici has scored six goals in just two Europa League matches. This comes from two hat-tricks, one coming against Sparta Prague and the other against AC Milan.

Yazici is an attacking monster, able to create and shoot at an industrious level. Even though he failed to score or assist against Celtic in the Europa League, Yazici made six key passes and completed three shots & two dribbles. His most astounding, eye-catching display though came against Lorient on Sunday. Yazici had eight shots and completed seven key passes. That is, of course, unsustainable, but it is a great highlight of Yazici’s skillset.

When revisiting Yazici’s underlying numbers though, it is clear he has improved massively in the long off-season break. He is ruthless in his shot taking. Yazici has a 45% shot accuracy, which is higher than Harry Kane’s 32% (WhoScored). While the majority of his shots are still coming from his left foot, Yazici is finally taking most of his shots inside the penalty box.

If Yazici keeps up this form, then Trabzonspor may be able to cash in well on their 20% sell on fee. For Lille though, Yazici could be a large cog in the system that wins, why not, a surprise first league title since 2011.

A.B.

Last season, Le Fée primarily played centrally in a 4-2-3-1, either in the #10 position or as part of the midfield two. He also started two games on the left wing last October, when Lorient set up in a 4-4-2 shape, and has continued to be used in a variety of positions during the start of this season. Due to his creativity and technical ability, Le Fée was used mostly in the advanced midfield position behind the striker last season, but performed equally well in a deeper midfield role and can contribute effectively with defensive work when his team are without the ball. Minutes have been restricted for the young midfielder this season, with new signings Trevoh Chalobah and Thomas Monconduit coming in and playing in the central midfield positions, admittedly to entirely successful effect. The attacking midfielder Quentin Boisgard has also been brought in from Toulouse and despite being deployed predominantly on the right wing, he can also play in the #10 position. The added competition for places in the line-up is expected as Lorient made a significant investment in players last summer (£24m), the 7th highest amount in the league, which is an indication of the aspirations of the club in their first season back in the top flight since 2016/17.

In Ligue 1 this season, Le Fée has played 336 minutes of football in his team’s first 10 matches. He started the season by playing the full 90 minutes in Lorient’s first fixture, a 3-1 home win against RC Strasbourg. Lorient set up in a familiar 4-2-3-1 shape with Le Fée playing as part of the midfield two and the young midfielder displayed some impressive defensive ability by making a number of tackles and interceptions in midfield areas. His positional awareness and reading of the game without the ball is notable for such a young player and enables him to win the ball back for his team effectively. Le Fée also made a difference against Strasbourg at the other end of the pitch, completing the most key passes (3) for his side including a smart through-ball that eventually led to the third goal for his side.

Since the win against Strasbourg, Le Fée has struggled to retain his place in the starting 11, starting only three of the next nine league games, being replaced before 90 minutes in each. In his second start, he played on the right of a midfield three and was unable to influence the game in the same manner as his previous appearance, completing only 70% of his passes and receiving a yellow card for a foul early in the game. With his side 2-0 down, he was taken off after 58 minutes to be replaced by an extra striker in an attempt to get something from the game. Since then, Le Fée has been in and out of the side and has only managed 46 minutes of football in Lorient’s last 5 league games. A midfield partnership of Laurent Abergel and Chelsea loanee Trevoh Chalobah has been preferred by manager Christophe Pélissier recently and it looks like Le Fée will have to earn his place back into the side. A switch to a 4-4-2 shape after a difficult start to the season for the club has meant that there is also no space for Le Fée in the advanced central midfield role either, with two strikers up top favoured at the moment.

A comparison of Le Fée with his midfield competition in the squad highlights why Pélissier has opted for alternative players in recent weeks. After conceding 13 goals in the first 6 league games, the shift to a 4-4-2 has improved Lorient defensively, with only 4 goals conceded in the last 4 games, including a clean sheet away to Dijon. This defensive solidity can be attributed partly to the new midfield pairing of Chalobah and Abergel, but conversely has made the club a lot less threatening going forward. In 813 minutes of football, Abergel has completed 6.2 successful tackles per 90, the highest amount for any player in the big-5 leagues this season if you discount players who have played less than two 90s of league football.

Looking also at successful pressures, which are defined as pressing actions from the player that lead to the team regaining possession within the next five seconds, Abergel also ranks in the top 3% of players in the big-5 leagues with 8.89 per 90. Both metrics highlight just how effective Abergel is at stopping attacks and winning the ball back for his side. Chalobah brings additional qualities to the midfield that contribute to the defensive performance, including 1.43 interceptions per 90, which ranks him in the top 5 for Ligue 1 midfielders. Alongside this, Chalobah completes 2.5 successful tackles per 90 and 2.5 successful dribbles per 90, the latter indicating that he is effective at progressing the ball further up the pitch where the wingers and forwards can create and score chances. The table below displays a comparison of some of these key metrics, with Le Fée included.

One feature that this current midfield partnership lacks is creativity, with Le Fée outperforming both in important metrics such as key passes and expected assists. Currently though, Pélissier seems happy to sacrifice the extra creativity in exchange for a solid midfield base and therefore the young midfielder may have to remain patient. Despite displaying good defensive awareness, it is noticeable that Le Fée can sometimes struggle with the physicality of the league. The numbers reinforce this view, with 3.75 turnovers per 90 underlining that he regularly loses the ball to stronger opposition midfield players. He also scores very low for Tackle/Dribbled Past %, a metric which represents the percentage of dribblers faced that he managed to tackle successfully. With a value of 15.4%, opposition players are finding it a bit too easy to get past Le Fée, mostly due to his small frame and lack of physical strength.

On the whole, Le Fée has had a relatively tough start to Ligue 1 football. New additions to the squad along with tougher opponents in a new league have meant that the young midfielder has had to be patient so far. However, there is still plenty of football to be played this season and Le Fée will undoubtedly get his chance to play more minutes and secure a place in the starting 11, provided he can build on the performances of last season that earned the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

E.B.

After a season at Nice played predominantly on the wings, Ganago has immediately established himself as one of the forwards in the 3-4-1-2 formation utilised by Lens this season. Despite only playing a total of 309 minutes in his 1st six games for the club, Ganago is joint-top scorer along with Gaël Kakuta. However, it is important to note that all four Kakuta’s goals this season have come from the penalty spot, with Ganago winning two of these penalties.

Ganago has already improved upon his highest goalscoring tally for a Ligue 1 season. Last season at Nice he featured in 26 league games, starting in 12, and only managed a return of three goals and one assist. The majority of these games, however, were spent on the wings whereas only 274 of his 1231 league minutes involved him playing as a central striker. The shot map below from last season displays a variety of low xG shots, with nearly 50% of them coming from outside of the box. It also shows that his three league goals came from three of his highest xG shots in central areas which demonstrates that Ganago is a capable finisher when in the right positions.

This season however, Ganago’s new role in a front two has enabled him to maximise his finishing ability, scoring four goals from 13 shots. The shot map below for the current season displays clearly the difference in his position this season, with 92% of Ganago’s shots being taken inside the box and mostly from central positions. The underlying numbers provide more evidence that the quality of his shots have improved. Last season, Ganago achieved an xG of 2.9 from a total of 17 shots whereas he has already generated 3.8 xG from his 13 shots this season. This is a difference of 0.12 xG per shot which is a significant increase and can be owed in part to his change in position.

Both Ganago and RC Lens manager Franck Haise have also commented on his improved goalscoring return since his move to the club. Speaking to The Ligue 1 Show, Ganago said: “For me, it changes everything! I’m back in my preferred position. I’m delighted, I’m enjoying myself and I’ll continue enjoying myself, I hope I can score lots of goals this season!” His manager added: “He’s here on the back of a few season at Nice where he was playing out of position, or at least not the one we are playing him in. I think he’s happier as a central striker.”

When comparing against the other top scorers in the league this season, Ganago’s numbers look even more impressive. The chart below displays Number of Shots vs Non-Penalty xG per Shot for players with at least 4 goals in Ligue 1 this season. Of the 13 players in this list, the young Lens forward is top for npxG/Sh with a value of 0.29 from 13 shots. It’s worth noting that since his sample size is smaller than most players, with the second lowest number of shots in the list, this high xG value could be considered unsustainable and it is possible that it will decrease eventually once the sample size increases. Currently, Ganago is taking better quality shots on average than the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Karl Toko Ekambi, but it must be noted that these established forwards have taken almost twice as many shots.

Ganago’s low number of shots compared to the other players in the list can be attributed mostly to his lower number of minutes. The Lens striker was injured 15 minutes into a game at home to Saint-Etienne after receiving a bad tackle from centre back Timothée Kolodziejczak. Ganago won his side a penalty from the foul but was unable to continue and hasn’t played since due to a sprained ankle. He is expected to return to the side after the current international break and will be hoping to pick up where he left off.

Noticeable improvements in some other key metrics also deserve a mention, but should be taken with a pinch of salt, as Ganago has currently played just under a quarter of the minutes that he managed with Nice last season. Touches in Box per 90 is up from 3.34 last season to 8.26 in 20/21, a value that is in the 95th percentile of Top-5 League forwards. An increase in this value is expected due to his shift to a more central position, but a value of 8.26 puts him in the same bracket as other top strikers such as Erling Braut Haaland and Robert Lewandowski at this early stage. Ganago also finds himself in the 97^th percentile for Successful Dribbles per 90 with a value of 4.13, an increase from 1.67 last season. This is one of the highest values for a central forward in the Top-5 Leagues and when considering strikers with at least three 90s played, only Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi are above him in the list.

Overall, despite his relatively low number of minutes, Ignatius Ganago has had a great start to the season and is thriving in his new central role at Lens. It is difficult to judge whether he can keep this form up after a return from injury but the underlying numbers suggest that his current goalscoring return is more than just a fluke and Lens fans will be expecting more of the same after the international break.

E.B.

During the last five years, the transfer links have lingered and the next transfer window could be the most realistic and optimal time for Fulgini to make his move.

Now with years of first-team development under his belt, what type of player would these interested parties be getting?

Having represented the France national youth teams from U17 level, Fulgini also remains eligible for Côte d’Ivoire, New Caledonia, and Italy.

He was born in the African nation of Côte d’Ivoire while his father was based there as a soldier, his mother is New Caledonian, and his grandparents on his father’s side are Italian, hence the Italian-sounding name.

“It’s a good mix!” he said of his roots during his time at Valenciennes. “I’m happy to represent all of it.”

“There are, for example, not many Caledonian players so it is important for my family who are there, and for me too.”

Now aged 23, he is no longer eligible for any of the French youth teams, so his next move at club level, and how successful that is, could dictate which nation he settles on — i.e. will he be high profile enough to eventually make the France senior side?

An 18-year-old Fulgini made his professional debut with Valenciennes in Ligue 2, starting 16 games at right-back during the second half of the 2014/15 campaign while also making one appearance in defensive midfield in the Coupe de France.

It was a difficult season for the club who just managed to avoid relegation, and by this time there was already plenty of interest in Fulgini.

Valenciennes knew they had a talented and potentially valuable player on their hands, so signed the teenager to a three-year deal that summer. The next season he played only a handful of games at right-back but started 18 games in various midfield positions, from deep-lying holder to midfield shuttler, in the centre, or on the right of a diamond midfield.

Since then he has played in pretty much every position on the park, as shown below from Transfermarkt, and has proven to be a versatile tactical tool.

In the summer of 2017, Fulgini took the step up to Ligue 1, signing with Angers for €1.4m. While at the club he has played on both wings, in midfield, and even spent one game in 2017 up front in support of the main striker Karl Toko Ekambi.

He has since settled in a central midfield role more often than not, but his positional history means he could do a job in a number of tactical setups and formations: On the right or in the middle in a 4-1-4-1, 4-4-2 or diamond midfield, out wide or in the middle in a 4-3-3, or midfield or wing-back in any of the back-five formations.

Add his ability to cover at right-back, and Fulgini is, at the very least, an attractive squad option for many teams across Europe.

Fulgini has an inventive touch and is lively on and off the ball. He is given responsibility at corners and free-kicks thanks to his great technique when striking a dead ball. This transfers into open play when he finds himself operating down the right channel where he’s able to deliver dangerous crosses into the area.

From central positions he has a good eye for a through-ball, spotting the runs of team-mates and waiting for the right time to play the pass, more often than not. He has a good passing range and will occasionally trust his weaker left foot to make a play.

Though Fulgini has only scored 18 goals from 172 appearances, he’s a decent finisher for someone who started his professional career at right-back and looks comfortable cutting in off the left wing when playing further forward, offering a more direct threat on goal on top of his creativity.

Dribbling is also a big part of the creative side of his play when it comes to taking opposition players out of the game. His positional and tactical versatility means these dribbling actions can take place across the park, as shown in the graphic from Twenty3, below.

That inventive first touch can help him beat the first man and he will often look to take on a second if there is no obvious pass available immediately.

These cunning attempts to take players on are also indicated by the fact that Fulgini has completed more nutmegs than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues, with 12, according to FBref data.

Sometimes the tendency to dribble can lead to errors in dangerous areas, and some improvement is needed when it comes to decision making around such actions.

As well as this, the occasional attempt at a first-time pass to keep things moving can go astray, but given his defensive ability, Fulgini can often win the ball back himself after making an error.

The heatmap below from SmarterScout shows some of these traits flagged up by the data.

The purple squares indicate take-ons and are littered across the pitch, especially noticeable in deeper areas. The yellow blocks on the corners show the regularity with which he takes set pieces, and the brown areas in midfield show a mixture of take-ons and passing.

Though the actions map is taken from his games during the 2019/20 Ligue 1 season playing in central midfield, it shows a tendency to play from the right, but also a number of actions across the pitch, including attacking areas where shots are indicated in white.

His ratings from the SmarterScout data are shown below, ranking impressively for his overall productiveness and industry in defence as well as the quality of his defensive actions, while also scoring well for attacking output.

His ball retention rating is low, but merely highlights his willingness to try more risky plays which might not always come off, but when they do, can put his team in a great position.

Most playmakers will score low for such ball retention numbers, and all of this together makes Fulgini some kind of attacking playmaker who can also do the job of a defensive midfielder, though the defensive side of his game doesn’t extend to winning duels in the air, where he currently loses more than he wins.

Many of the aforementioned traits are reinforced by his radar from FootballSlices, below, using FBref data, in which he shows up well for taking on the opposition while also stopping them dribbling past him.

Though his high-risk playmaking gives a relatively low pass success for a midfielder, his progressive passing and shot creation is impressive.

At the moment he’s someone whose defending can be as reactive as it is proactive, but his ability to close down quickly and his involvement with an Angers team which generally likes to press in midfield, shows he could be part of a bigger, more organised counter-press further forward.

As Fulgini’s positional history shows, at 23 years old he’s already played more positions than many players will in their professional career. He’d likely be very good as a modern-day right-back tasked with cutting into midfield as well as overlapping down the wing, but he sees his future in midfield.

He lists Thiago Alcantara, Andres Iniesta, and Ilkay Gundogan as his role models, and the 23-year-old’s next move will go a long way to deciding whether he get close to emulating those players.

French football’s decision to be the only one of Europe’s top five leagues not to resume their season amid the COVID-19 pandemic might have a detrimental effect on a number of young players at key moments in their career, but it could also give them time to take stock of their next move.

The upcoming transfer window will no doubt present Fulgini with chances to leave Angers, but he’ll need to make sure he goes to a team where he can develop his game further.

His versatility will certainly help when it comes to getting the all-important game time, regardless of the level of club he moves to, and it would be a surprise if Fulgini is not playing, at least, in the Europa League for a club in one of Europe’s top five leagues come 2021.

James Nalton

This rocket-fuelled ascension has become commonplace in Lyon, where promising footballers are omnipresent. Such is the ubiquity of these young gems that their pervasiveness might soon rival that of the city’s Bouchons – Lyon’s traditional restaurants that are found on nearly every corner of the city, offering up its world-famous cuisine.

OL’s academy-first policy has in recent years produced a record of some of the most exciting, most talented youngsters in world football. The two aforementioned Gones indubitably figure in this superlative list, but another who equally merits a place despite a relative lack of excitement is Maxence Caqueret. Perhaps it’s his slight physique or maybe his unassuming public personality that keeps Caqueret out of the media spotlight, but the 20-year-old midfielder’s potential is palpable. On this both coaches and journalists are in agreement: Maxence Caqueret has not startlingly broken out like other OL youngsters, but he is, steadily and unequivocally, ascending.

Born in the commune of Vénissieux just outside of Lyon’s centre, Caqueret is, as affirmed by club president Jean-Michel Aulas, a “real Gone.” The midfielder joined OL’s academy at the age of 11 and was quickly identified by both his club and his country as a promising talent. Since 2015, Caqueret has made over 50 appearances for France’s youth sides, starting with the U16’s before working his way up, level by level, to the U19’s.

Two of Caqueret’s particular strengths – his ability to tirelessly work for his team and his aptitude as a leader – have been on show for both Lyon and France’s youth sides. Legendary Lyon youth coach Armand Garrido, who during his 30 years with the club helped form the likes of Karim Benzema, Samuel Umtiti, and Alexandre Lacazette, once described the 20-year-old as a “machine” – a player that wins the ball back, launches attacks, sets up goals, and can even score them too. Gerard Bonneau, head of youth recruitment at Lyon from 2003 to 2017, has similarly praised Caqueret, saying, “He really puts a lot into it. He gets through a lot of work and he’s got a very pure technique. He scraps for the ball too and he can take out a whole defensive line with a single pass or a dribble.”

Caqueret’s leadership abilities have often been exemplified by his role as captain at multiple stages in his youth career for both France and OL. While Lyon’s players are often referred to as Gones – essentially the “kids of Lyon” – Caqueret’s mental capacity and determination are anything but infantile.

While Caqueret works tremendously hard and excels at dispossessing opponents, the 20-year-old is hardly just an archetypal workhorse midfielder. When speaking of their young midfielder, both coaches and staff at Lyon often laud Caqueret’s sublime technique. Juninho, Sporting Director at OL, said in February, “For me, all football clubs must invest in Futsal, it’s vital. Caqueret, for example, in watching him play, I immediately noticed that he played Futsal, like most Brazilian footballers.” High praise indeed from one of the most authoritative figures at the club. Cris, too, described his former academy player as “very intelligent” and a midfielder who could “become a very good player” before the Brazilian coach left the club in 2018.

Looking forward, it’s easy to know what Caqueret is aiming for in months and seasons to come. The 20-year-old finally made his first appearance in Ligue 1 this season much to his own delight but was surely hoping to build on his tally of eight appearances before the outbreak of COVID-19 and the consequential derailment of the 2019/20 campaign. While the January signing of Bruno Guimarães put another name in front of Caqueret in the midfield depth chart, the imminent summer departure of Lucas Tousart – currently on loan from Hertha Berlin – will free up space for the Vénissieux native.

Additionally, Houssem Aouar’s seemingly certain transfer away from Lyon could lead to a larger role for Caqueret next season. Jean-Michel Aulas has publicly advised Aouar to join his friend Andrea Agnelli at Juventus in what would be a financially significant sale for Aulas given his midfielder’s €55m valuation. If such a move were to happen this summer, expect Caqueret to step up in his compatriot’s absence, beckoning in a promising new era alongside Bruno Guimarães in the Lyon midfield.

G.M.