How Monaco could have lined up if they hadn’t sold their best players

Centre back - Aymen Abdennour (Marseille)

Abdennour was a real standout performer at Monaco

Abdennour wasn’t a man who spent much time at Monaco, but he certainly made a positive impression during his time in the south of France. He initially joined Monaco on a six-month loan from Toulouse in 2014, and after impressing in that time, made the move permanent in the summer.

After a strong season with Monaco, during which he helped them reach the Champions League quarter-finals, he joined Valencia for a fee of around £20 million, replacing Nicolas Otamendi, who joined Manchester City. Given that Monaco have always seemed to be excellent going forward, it is their defence that has let them down, so they may have preferred to keep hold of one of their better defenders.

Centre back - Terence Kongolo (Huddersfield Town)

Of all the players in this team, Kongolo is probably the one Monaco miss the least. He impressed a lot during his time with Feyenoord, and has done a good job since he joined Huddersfield Town. However, in his six months with Monaco, he flattered to deceive. He signed a five-year deal when he joined the French side in summer of 2017, but only made six appearances in all competitions before being loaned out to England. Both sides will have regrets, as Kongolo is a very good defender, he just didn’t show that at Monaco.