Maghnes Akliouche celebrates France call-up with more goals for Monaco | Ligue 1

“There are players that, at 17 or 18 years old, are ready,” says the Monaco Under-17s coach Manu Dos Santos. Maghnes Akliouche was not one of them. The Monaco forward was never sold a glistening career but, through patience, he is forging one.

Akliouche spoke of a “great surprise” when he watched Didier Deschamps read out his name on Thursday. In truth, his maiden call-up to the France squad could have come sooner. His tally of 19 goal contributions for Monaco last season, including a stunning goal in the Champions League against Barcelona, have put him in the conversation for some time.

The Monaco manager, Adi Hütter, has been pushing for his inclusion for a while. “France has so many players on a top level but I cannot see another player who has the same skills as Maghnes Akliouche. He is a totally different player,” he said last season. However, even Akliouche’s most ardent supporters have had their doubts.

Hütter recalls that Akliouche “wasn’t strong enough” two years ago. “Maghnes was late to mature physically compared with teammates the same age,” says Dos Santos. “We questioned his athletic development. He has always had confidence in himself and he had the patience to take those steps; he never lost confidence in himself and always had the right attitude. Maghnes needed more time but, thankfully, we took the time because we now know what he is capable of. Some players are precocious, but there are some players who you have to give time.”

Coming through in the same age category as the likes of Benoît Badiashile and Khéphren Thuram only exaggerated those athletic shortcomings, but his technical ability has always shone through. “On a technical level, in his vision, in his reading of the game, and in terms of his technical execution, he was already really good,” says Dos Santos.

In brief cameos under Philippe Clement, that is what came to the fore. However, a lack of physicality and a tendency to disappear from games prevented him from establishing himself under the Belgian manager. Patience – from the player and the club, who turned down a €13m bid from Lille in 2022 – coupled with a change of manager, led to a change in fortune and set Akliouche on a course that has taken him to the France team.

“I always worked hard, even when I wasn’t playing, but the arrival of the manager helped me. My game improved with him,” admits Akliouche, who has gone from a fringe player to the leader of Monaco’s attack within two years. “When I arrived two years ago, I didn’t know if he could be a national team player,” admitted Hütter, who had Akliouche on the bench in his first game as Monaco manager. The winger came on as a substitute in the game and scored his first Ligue 1 goal.

But it was last season, after winning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics under Thierry Henry, that Akliouche kicked on, adding consistency to his flair. He has continued in the same vein this season. Hütter anticipated a “target on his back” against Strasbourg at the weekend. If there was a target, Racing couldn’t hit it, with the Frenchman scoring in the sixth minute. More crucially, however, he had the sangfroid to raise his head and find Takumi Minamino at the back post, with the former Liverpool man giving Monaco the win in the 96th minute.

He delivered a decisive performance after a career-changing France call-up, but also amid persistent speculation about his future. Tottenham, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain have all been following the player closely but Akliouche, who celebrated Sunday’s goal by kissing his badge, looks likely to stay at Monaco.

And he insists that the increased attention will not affect him. “I will stay how I am. The most important thing for me will be to give even more on the pitch, to help even more than last season,” said Akliouche.

It is certainly on the pitch that Akliouche, a timid character, will continue to do the talking. “He has always been shy and very reserved. You need time to win him over so that he opens up. It took us a while to get his first smile,” jokes Dos Santos. Monaco took that time and are now reaping the rewards.

Talking points

PSG started slowly, with two 1-0 wins, but they clicked back into gear in a 6-3 hammering of Toulouse. The game was marked by one of the most spectacular hat-tricks, scored by João Neves. “Bicycle kicks? I like to do them in training or on the beach,” said the Portugal international, who saved two of his best for Toulouse. His first was bettered by the second, scored just seven minutes later, before he wrapped it up with a drive into the top corner from the edge of the box. An emphatic individual performance, an emphatic win, and one that says: “PSG are back.”

Marseille succumbed to their second defeat in three games. Their first, to Rennes on the opening day of the season, was quite literally painful for Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe, who were involved in a dressing room brawl after the match. The pain felt during their 1-0 defeat to Lyon was more figurative. Marseille have a strong recent record in the fiercely contested Olympics shock, winning five of the last six going into Sunday’s edition. However, Roberto De Zerbi’s side were forced to curtail their ambition when England Under-21s international CJ Egan-Riley was sent off in the first half. Still, Marseille looked as if they would cling on for a point until Leonardo Baleri’s own goal in the 87th minute.

Losing your top scorer from last season is a blow but, for that player to score on his debut for his new club against you, that is particularly harsh. That was Angers’ fate this weekend. There is a reason that Alexandre Dujeux’s side stayed up last season, and it goes by the name Esteban Lepaul. Sold for €15m, he scored against Angers on his Rennes debut. Angers have not even been able to sign a replacement. Rémy Labeau-Lascary had already been signed, presented and was training with his teammates when the DNCG stated that the club’s wage bill could not be increased, and so the signing could not be approved. He has returned to Lens, while Steve Mounié’s move has now also collapsed. Maybe they don’t need to sign a replacement as their academy product, Prosper Peter, netted the equaliser to salvage a point for Angers. More than ever, L are fighting against the odds this season.

This is an article by Get French Football News