This new Ligue 1 season will make it possible to discover new faces. From the flashy rookie to 40 million euros from PSG to the latest nugget out of the Lyon training center, here are 5 players not to take your eyes off.
Vitinha (PSG)
Fine connoisseurs of the Portuguese championship know how much Vítor Machado Ferreira, known as Vitinha, is a talented boy. Under the colors of FC Porto, the 22-year-old Portuguese hopeful splashed the 2021-2022 season with his talent. A true metronome of his team’s game, Vitinha allowed Sergio Conceiçao’s group to go faster and stronger in transmission and offensive construction. FC Porto’s hub for two full seasons, he took a new step when he arrived in Paris. Associated with Marco Verratti, he will try to succeed where Leandro Paredes failed: recover balls with a vengeance, distribute caviar to the offensive armada which will be in front of him and score important goals when the second balls are usable.
Breel Embolo (AS Monaco)
AS Monaco did not recruit a young first with Breel Embolo. At 25, the Swiss striker of Cameroonian origin has already made the talk in the Bundesliga. Under the colors of Schalke 04, at the age of 19 and after a transfer of 25 million euros, he became one of the great hopes of the German championship. But Embolo’s trajectory is not as powerful as expected. Second chance with Borussia M’Gladbach for a second mixed record. But the qualities of this early success scorer are obvious. Spotted very young by José Mourinho, he comes to France to explode in broad daylight. Alongside Wissam Ben Yedder and Kevin Volland, the competition will be tough. But an Embolo in great shape can clearly do very, very, very badly…
Loïs Openda (RC Lens)
After Seko Fofana, RC Lens is trying a new big shot. And it was in Belgium that the Bloods and Gold were sought for the treasure of Club Brugge. A 22-year-old nugget who shook the Dutch championship for two years (2020-2022), with Vitesse Arnhem. Called to take over from Michy Batshuayi and Romelu Lukaku in the Belgian selection, Openda has already made a success of its debut with Lens since it scored the winning goal in the friendly against the prestigious Inter Milan (1-0): “ I am very happy to have been able to play my first minutes here, in a magnificent and boiling stadium, and above all to have scored my first goal. It was a nice goal thanks to the good corner from my teammate. I had a wonderful welcome in the team, which is like a family, and I really felt at home. That’s what makes Lens so amazing. I aim to help the team as much as possible to please the club and the fans. “. Bollaert’s new star is already ready to shine…
Isaak Toure (OM)
Courted by Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, Isaak Touré preferred to stay in France. And it is at OM that the giant defender of Le Havre (2.04 meters, impossible to miss him on the pitch!) has settled down. ” It’s hard to say no to OM, he explained. I’m here to learn, but I want to make a place for myself in the eleven. We will go step by step. I still have a few aspects of my game to work on. I have a timing problem, but it works. We’ll see as time goes on “. At 19, Isaak Touré does not arrive in Marseille to be a starting player. But his talent and his recent performances, in particular with the young French teams, show that he has quite the capacity to explode in the higher level. After the dazzling emergence of William Saliba, OM could see the birth of a new nugget of French football. A transfer at 5.5 million euros which could very quickly be worth gold if Igor Tudor manages to install him in central defense in a team which will compete, this season, in the prestigious Champions League…
Mohamed El Arouch (OL)
In Lyon, it is already an attraction. After Hatem Ben Arfa, Karim Benzema, Amine Gouiri, Houssem Aouar and even Ryan Cherki, the last golden foal of the OL team is called Mohamed El Arouch. A pure 18-year-old talent who is already knocking on the door of the pros. After sealing his future in the Rhône last May (contract extension until June 2025), Mohamed El Arouch is awaited at the turn by the supporters who only ask to see him in the colors of OL. But as for Rayan Cherki, we will have to be patient. The competition is fierce in Lyon and the young El Arouch still has time. But how not to be impatient to see a profile hatch with so many technical qualities? In a style full of elegance, the Lyonnais is worth the trip. Hoping that Peter Bosz finds the best way to use him as quickly as possible in this high-stakes season for OL. The arrival of a new shareholder (John Textor) and the priority objective of regaining the Champions League is not an easy context for the birth of young talents.
