Top 4 young stars from Ligue 1 who will be the next big thing in football
Marseille’s French midfielder Florian Thauvin
Ever since the formation of the Clairefontaine academy, France has gained a superb reputation for producing and nurturing some of the most exciting young players in Europe.
You just have to look through some of Europe’s top sides and you will see a spate of top-class players that have passed through Ligue 1.
Yaya Toure, Raphael Varane, Franck Ribery and Miralem Pjanic, just some of the names that played in France when they were younger, now you have Paris Saint-Germain joining Europe’s elite with young stars Marco Verratti, Lucas Digne and Marquinhos playing a crucial part.
Let’s look at four talents aged 21 or under that are set to be the next stars to come out of Ligue 1.
1. Florian Thauvin – Marseille (21 years old)
The talents of Florian Thauvin are hard to escape; whenever he is on the pitch he is one of those players that instantly catches the eye. He plays in that old fashioned style of winger, the type of player that just wants to get on the ball and attack the defence.
In his 26 appearances this season Thauvin has attempted 101 take ons, he has only completed 41% of them, but this is part of his enthusiasm, and the older he gets the higher the completion rate will grow.
Blessed with excellent ball control and great pace, Thauvin is a danger whenever he gets on the ball. He has scored six goals this season and created 26 chances, three of them assists.
Marseille inconsistent form has affected Thauvin’s play at times this season, he has adapted well after the controversial move from Lille to Marseille last summer, now is the time to put that fully behind him and becoming a huge star before Euro 2016.
2. Samuel Umtiti – Lyon (21 years old)
Samuel Umtiti
After spending most of last season playing in any position Remi Garde asked of him, this campaign he has established himself as one of Lyon’s starting centre-backs, and now in his natural position he has flourished and impressed.
Umtiti uses his physical presence and agility to win 67% of his headed duels 44 out of 66 to be precise, he has also improved defensively, winning 54% of his tackles. He averages eight defensive actions per game, making a huge 145 clearances this season.
Probably most impressively he has shown great control for someone so young. He has only picked up one yellow card this season, along with one red. The basis is there in the next few years for Umtiti to become a wonderful centre-back.