FEATURE | ‘Golden Boy’ Maghnes Akliouche knocking on Didier Deschamps’ door

There is the ability to show moments of technical brilliance, but being able to do it repeatedly is what separates the good from the great. Maghnes Akliouche (22) fell into the first category for a while.

The talent was so evident, as he showed on a cold Coupe de France evening in February 2022. In his first professional start, he grabbed a ball from behind, turned one defender, brushed off the other, before he put the ball on a plate. for Kevin Volland, who converted easily. It was the moment that Akliouche announced himself, but it was a moment that he struggled to reproduce over the course of the eighteen months that followed.

Facing competition for a place from the likes of Takumi Minamino, Krépin Diatta and the now departed Gelson Martins, Akliouche failed to hold down a place in the lineup despite others failing to make the position their own .

“Maghnes has developed well in recent weeks and months,” said former Monaco manager Philippe Clement, now at Rangers. “It has given him opportunities to prove that during matches. For the time being, he shows it more in training than in matches,” Clement added in October 2022.

In any case, that inability to repeat his performances in training did not consistently cause Akliouche's progress to stagnate somewhat, while another pépite from Monaco's prestigious La Diagonale academy, Eliesse Ben Seghir, arrived on the scene and guaranteed – and the statistics – gave. that Akliouche was not. Akliouche's memorable assist against Amiens in the Coupe de France was his only goal contribution of the 2021/22 season, while Ben Seghir proved the difference-maker on the other flank, scoring seven goals that season, including four goals. in League 1.

A technically gifted player with a deft touch and the ability to slide past players, the fruits of his labor were inconsistent and his tangible effect on the game was too often limited. Akliouche remembers former Monégasque Cesc Fabregas telling him to “play simply”, but for a player of Akliouche's abilities, showing restraint is difficult, and ultimately, even if that advice has been taken to some extent, he has not had. at.

With Ben Seghir injured for much of last campaign, Akliouche got his chance and grabbed it with both hands. He got the proverbial monkey off his back in the first game of the season when he scored against Clermont before going on to score seven more times over the course of the campaign. But despite his breakthrough, which also saw him become a favorite under Thierry Henry in the France U21 set-up, he did not rest on his laurels.

“Doubts [about establishing myself at my formative club]? They are still there. Monaco is a big club with a lot of competition, so you have to be focused on your job every day and that is what I try to do,” Akliouche said in February this year.

He finished the season strongly, prompting Monaco manager Adi Hütter to dub him the “Golden Boy”. For a while, that title was awarded to Ben Seghir, but when he returned this year, it immediately became clear that at a club like Monaco, which puts youth development first, there was room for more than one 'Golden Boy' in this team.

“We have a lot of young talents, like Ben Seghir, Akliouche, (Lamine) Camara… no one knows them so well in Europe. The Champions League will be the best stage to present them,” Hütter previewed ahead of Les Monégasques' opener against Barcelona. Akliouche has certainly taken advantage of the platform he was given.

Akliouche performed at the highest level in world football and proved he belonged by scoring a stunning individual goal just minutes after his Champions League debut. “I thought I would only score in the Champions League,” Akliouche joked after scoring his third and fourth goals of the season against Stade Brestois, but his first in Ligue 1.

If the performance against Barcelona was proof of his ability to play in the Champions League, his support for the win over Brest was a message to Didier Deschamps – a statement that he can do it for France too. It was a performance in line with a rapid upward trajectory for Akliouche, who once again showed his ability to change the game. He was always a destabilizing player, but now he is also a finisher.

“I work on my finishing during training. It is important for an attacker to keep a cool head in front of goal […] I'm feeling better and better,” Akliouche said after his brace.

“He can be happy that he is an example [of our academy]I saw [Akliouche] was a great talent, but when you are up front or a number 10 you have to bring stats and score or score goals. He brings us a lot of statistics. With two goals, he was certainly the protagonist tonight,” said Hütter, who then gave his assessment of Akliouche's readiness on the international stage.

“He has made tremendous progress. For me he is an international player,” said Hütter, while Akliouche's progress has not been lost on captain Denis Zakaria, who took office in the summer of 2023. “He is a different player than the one at the beginning of last season. He used to be a bit of a 'kid', but he has matured. He often makes the right decision in his game. He is a really good player,” said the former Juventus and Chelsea midfielder.

Akliouche said Deschamps had not contacted him about a first call-up for France, but that may not remain the case for long, especially given the Les Bleus manager's special eye for a Monegasque talent; a stadium in his name is again a stone's throw from the Stade Louis II, while his residence overlooks the Principality.

“I can imagine that a number of top clubs will be interested in Maghnes next season,” Hütter said in November. However, after Akliouche was restricted until 2028 after signing a contract extension in July amid interest from Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, luring him away from the Principality will be an expensive proposition.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle