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France Under-21 begin their European Under-21 Championship campaign on Thursday with a match against Denmark.
World champions at senior level, France may have a habit of producing world-class young players, but they have struggled to produce age-group teams of quality. Often, the individual talents of players is not reflected at the squad level.
The team they are sending to Hungary and Slovenia for the group stage is arguably one of the most formidable that they have produced in recent years and it is up to boss Sylvain Ripoll to get the best out of the players and help France Under-21 to win just their second title, having last done so in 1988.
Here are five players to watch from the team – a mix of those set for big clubs in the summer and those hidden gems with the potential to explode in the years to come.
Five France Under-21 stars to watch:
Jules Kounde (Sevilla)
France Under-21 caps: 5
France Under-21 goals: 1
While Leicester centre-back Wesley Fofana may have grabbed the spotlight this season through his outstanding performances in the Premier League, France Under-21 team-mate Jules Kounde is set to join him at the very elite level in the not too distant future.
The athletic Sevilla defender, who has already earned more than 100 league appearances in Ligue 1 and La Liga, moved to Spain for around €25 million in the summer of 2019 and has readily established himself at that standard.
Indeed, he was named in the Team of the Tournament as Sevilla won the Europa League last year, notably knocking out Manchester United en route.
So impressed were the Red Devils with the performance of the 22-year-old in that game, that they have been tracking him ever since, and it would be little surprise if they were to make a move for him this summer.
If they don’t, someone surely will. Kounde has already turned down Manchester City in the past and has been praised for his “professional and respectful behaviour” by Sevilla sporting director Monchi.
With a strong attitude, excellent physique and fine defensive attributes, he is a player who will go far in the game and should shine in the European Under-21 Championship.
Romain Faivre (Brest)
France Under-21 caps: 4
France Under-21 goals: 2
Favire is one of the more unknown names in the France squad for the European Under-21 Championship. He plays for an unfashionable Brest side, but he has helped transform the Breton outfit from a doughty team into a unit that possesses a touch of class about them.
He was expected to play a fringe role for the club when he signed from Monaco last season, having featured almost exclusively for the reserve team at Stade Louis II.
Instead, his graceful displays saw him immediately become a star of the starting XI and he has got stronger. With a wonderful left foot, he is capable of playing in any of the three attacking midfield positions and has impressed thanks to the quality of his passing, his deft first touch and his all-round technical grace.
Signed for only €650,000 last summer, he has earned four France Under-21 caps since then and has made a mockery of his small fee.
Manchester United have been following his progress along with several other top clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, and while they may not quite be ready for such a move right now, the European Under-21 Championship will give him another opportunity to showcase his talent to the very best.
When he does move on, it will surely be at a price 10 times or more that at which Brest signed him.
Aurelien Tchouameni (Monaco)
France Under-21 caps: 0
France Under-21 goals: 0
Remarkably, Aurelien Tchouameni is yet to be capped by France Under-21. He has, however, captained his country at Under-18 level previously.
Signed by Monaco from Bordeaux in January of 2020, the central midfield player has established himself as a key player for the principality side. Under a series of bosses, the 21-year-old has ridden out what has been a stormy period in the club’s history and is a key figure in the plans of head coach Niko Kovac and is playing a big role as they challenge for the Ligue 1 title.
He is not a spectacular player. Instead, he has a focus on doing the ugly, defensive work of his side, yet he completes this task with relish and is extremely effective.
Given that Monaco can leave him rather exposed due to their attacking nature, he would seem well suited to starring for France in Hungary and Slovenia due to the fact he is used to playing for a team that dominates possession and will lean on the defensive qualities of their central midfield players.
It is only a matter of time before bigger clubs begin to circle in, although Thouameni seems unlikely to leave Monaco if they qualify for the Champions League next term.
Odsonne Edouard (Celtic)
France Under-21 caps: 10
France Under-21 goals: 15
Odsonne Edouard talent is often overlooked because he plays in Scotland, yet his scoring record for France Under-21 highlights his importance to the team: he has netted 15 goals in just 10 outings for Les Bleuets.
Edouard graduated from the Paris Saint-Germain youth academy, but like so many of the capital side’s most promising young talents, he was forced to look elsewhere toget first-team football. A loan spell at Toulouse was marked by indiscipline, yet the move to Scotland in 2017, which became permanent for around €9m a year later, proved an inspirational one.
At 23, he is one of the oldest players eligible to play for France Under-21 in this competition, and he will have a key role. He will, however, be pushed by promising Nantes forward Randal Kolo Muani, who recently scored and gained an assist in his side’s shock away win against PSG. Edouard will have to fight for his role in the team.
After a somewhat frustrating season domestically – he has manged only 20 goals in 34 appearances, a low figure for him – this is his chance to put himself in the shop window once more.
Amine Gouiri (Nice)
France Under-21 caps: 8
France Under-21 goals: 4
France Under-21 have ample talent to draw from up front. Lille’s Jonathan Ikone, for example, has already been capped at senior level, while Armand Lauriente came into the spotlight last weekend for his Juninho-esque free-kick for Lorient against Nantes and has been praised for his quality in transition.
Arguably the player primed to take off during the European Under-21 Championship, though, is Nice striker Amine Gouiri.
Playing for a Nice side that has failed to impress this season, Gouiri has been an absolute star, carrying their attacking line with a maturity that a player just turned 21 should have no business doing.
Much has been expected of him for a long time, but a serious injury hampered his progress at Lyon and prompted the club to sell him in the summer. Having joined for just €7m last summer, he is already proving to be a bargain addition.
Capable of playing across the front three, Gouiri possesses exciting dribbling skills, an element of the unpredictable, and a cool head in front of goal. This is amply displayed by his 12 goals and six assists in Ligue 1, plus a contribution of four goals in five games in the Europa League. All this has been achieved in a foundering side.
