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#7 Sven Botman (Lille)
Lille are currently at the top of Ligue 1, and their excellent defense – conceding just 15 goals thus far into 2020-21 – has played a large part in their success.
Perhaps the key player to that defensive strength has been Dutch center-back Sven Botman. Signed by Les Dogues last summer for a fee of €9m from Ajax, the 21-year old has enjoyed an absolutely fantastic debut season in Ligue 1.
Botman has played every minute of Lille’s 24 league games this season, and his defensive statistics are remarkably strong. He scores highly when it comes to tackles, blocks, and interceptions per game but is also excellent on the ball.
No other Lille player makes more passes than the Dutchman’s average of 71.8 per match, and Botman’s accuracy is also high – 85.7%.
It’s hardly a surprise that this mix of steel and comfort on the ball has piqued some of the Premier League’s big clubs' interest.
This week, Tottenham became the latest side to be linked with a summer move for the 21-year-old. And despite Botman only joining Lille last summer, given the club’s financial issues, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make the move to England in a few months’ time.
#8 Gaetan Laborde (Montpellier)
Despite their current mid-table position, Montpellier have often been considered Ligue 1’s “entertainers” during the current campaign, with their total of 39 goals only bettered by the current top four.
One player who has made a huge contribution to that reputation is attacker Gaetan Laborde. The 26-year-old Frenchman has been with Montpellier since 2018, but the current season in particular has seen him rise in prominence.
Laborde has appeared in all of Montpellier’s 24 matches, and his record of nine goals and seven assists is only bettered by a handful of Ligue 1 players.
An aggressive attacker who plays in a largely direct way – taking an average of 2.5 shots per game – Laborde isn’t quite as refined as some of the other forwards in Ligue 1.
But he’s certainly capable of affecting a game, making him a potentially attractive – and likely cheap – signing for a Premier League side.
This season has already seen Wolves, West Ham United, and Newcastle United linked with a move for him. And if he continues to produce the form he’s shown recently, it’s likely we’ll see him in England’s top flight next season.
#9 Fabien Centonze (Metz)
The Premier League is absolutely full of high-level right-backs, with many of them homegrown English talent. However, there are a number of top clubs requiring reinforcements in the position. And those clubs could potentially find a bargain in the form of Metz’s Fabien Centonze.
The 25-year-old Frenchman is largely unheralded outside of Ligue 1, but he enjoyed an excellent season with Metz in 2019-20 and has carried his form over into the current campaign.
Offering an impressive mix of athleticism and technique, Centonze scores highly in all defensive categories.
His average of 3.7 interceptions per game marks him out as the best in Ligue 1, and he also makes the top 10 when it comes to tackles, scoring an average of 3 per game.
But Centonze is not just a defensive full-back. He’s also more than capable of joining in with attacks, as he showed by registering three assists during the 2019-20 campaign.
With sides like Aston Villa and Tottenham potentially in the market for more depth in the right-back spot this summer, the Metz defender could prove to be the perfect solution.
#10 Boulaye Dia (Reims)
Ligue 1 has a number of high-level strikers, including international stars Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. But while Mbappe stands at the top of Ligue 1’s scoring table, a surprising name isn’t too far behind him.
That surprise name is Boulaye Dia of Reims. The 24-year-old Senegal international showed his potential by scoring seven goals in the 2019-20 campaign, but he’s already bettered that by scoring 12 thus far into the current season.
Pace and power are the name of Dia’s game. He’s remarkably quick, and with a low center of gravity - thanks to his 5’11” frame - he’s very tricky to knock off the ball.
And when he gets in front of goal, Dia is a hugely confident finisher, able to score comfortably with either foot.
Dia has already been linked with a move to Arsenal, and in the recent transfer window, it was rumored that West Ham were about to make a move for him.
If he continues scoring at his current rate, there can be no doubt that he’s destined for big things. And so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him explode into the Premier League in the 2021-22 season.
