'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Benjamin Andre
To many, his name has been unheard of and that is why Benjamin Andre is seen as Ligue 1's best kept secret. The 31-year old will be spoken of in high regard whenever Lille remember their 2020-21 title triumph. Throughout this calendar year, Andre has missed only three games for Lille in Ligue 1.
The Frenchman mostly functions as a shield to the rearguard and does his job to great effect. Andre is among the top 3 players with the best tackles and interception rates in Ligue 1 in 2021. He uses his mobility extremely well to take intelligent positions and stops the opposition from building the play.
Despite being over 30, the intensity with which the Lille midfielder presses and leads the charge from the front is second to none. There are not many who can dispossess the opposition via their individual pressing as much as Andre does in Ligue 1. He is a true gem and will be remembered as a shrewd operator when Lille remember their title-winning team.
#2 Aurelien Tchouameni
If you had to look at French football and pick the next best thing from Ligue 1, after the performances in 2021, you wouldn't look past Aurelien Tchouameni. The winner of Ligue 1's Best Young Player award has everything going for him and more. At 21, he's topping the charts in the French top-flight.
The most number of tackles plus interceptions (206) last season and has already made 104 this season, just behind Benjamin Andre. Tchouameni has been the target of most passes this year for the Monaco team, which explains how things flow through him.
The midfielder's positional awareness is really quite exceptional and he occupies spaces to inhibit the opposition attack from flourishing. The hype around Ligue 1's young sensation is so great that he has been deemed a hybrid of N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba.
Comparisons to one of them are a milestone, and he's carrying comparisons to both of them. The Monaco midfielder is a do-it-all. He can drive forward with a strong run into the final third, or simply pick a clever pass from the deep.
His relentless pressing is a blessing and with his physicality he is one of the best ball-winners in Ligue 1. Tchouameni will soon be on the books of one of Europe's top sharks.
#1 Dimitri Payet
The fact that Dimitri Payet is 34-years old and his market value has come to as low as €5m, not too bad for that age, are things that hardly matter to him. Since his arrival in Ligue 1, the Frenchman has been one of the most entertaining figures to watch.
The attacking midfielder is quite easily Olympique Marseille's most important attacking asset. He has been undroppable for them in previous seasons and 2021 was no different for the Ligue 1 veteran. He registered 12 goals and 14 assists in the calendar year in the French top-flight.
Payet has played in almost every position in the attacking front-three and midfield and never fails to contribute. He was among the top players in the league for goal creating actions per 90 minutes last season and with a figure of 0.83 is the fourth best in Ligue 1 this season.
He is a shrewd operator given how many versatile positions he plays in and yet manages to stay deeply involved in the action. The 34-year old missed only four games for Marseille in 2021. His importance to that team is evident given they lost one and drew two without him. In fact, they could only score in one of those four matches.
