Five brilliant France Under-21 prospects to watch at the European Championship

Aurelien Tchouameni (Monaco)

Eintracht Frankfurt v AS Monaco - Friendly Match

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)

Celtic v KR Reykjavik - UEFA Champions League: First Qualifying Round

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)

Bayer 04 Leverkusen v OGC Nice: Group C - UEFA Europa League

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.