Since 2022, when Lucas Chevalier entered Lille's first team at the age of 20, people have been clamoring for the young goalkeeper's potential. From Chevalier's first few games with his formative club, it was clear there was something special about him.
The question that has accompanied Chevalier has always been how high can the young goalkeeper fly. However, this year has shown something very different as we have seen him begin to realize his potential at Les Dogues and take more than a few important steps in what appears to be a career destined for the very top.
2024 was a year full of milestones for the goalkeeper, it will always be the year he made his first appearance in the Champions League and the year he was first called up to the France team. Chevalier has embraced each of these milestones and looks like a stronger player for passing them.
And with each milestone, the transfer fee he will likely receive at the end of the season grows. Although perhaps even an eye-popping transfer wouldn't be enough to compensate for the loss of his talents and the security he provides as a last line of defense.
At the start of the year, Chevalier got a taste of European knockout football in the Europa Conference League. It was the first time the club had ever reached a quarter-final in a European competition and it was a journey that was brought to an end by Aston Villa in a penalty shootout.
Despite playing well throughout the match against the Premier League side, Chevalier was at fault for the goal, which sent the match to extra time after dropping a cross when he collided with Nabil Bentaleb. He did, however, cover himself in glory when he pulled off a spectacular double save to deny Leon Bailey and Douglas Luiz at the death, and saved a penalty in the shootout to provide his teammates with numerous lifelines.
For Chevalier, the Europa Conference League was a good experience. However, he knew that his next experience on the continent had to be in the Champions League if he was to achieve his goal of becoming a France international. “I still have to gain experience, show good things and then play in competitions that are more important than the Conference League.”
“Everyone selected for the French team is playing in the Champions League or has already played in it. That's not my case so I just want to play and if I keep working like I'm doing it will happen.” Chevalier would get the chance to play in the Champions League when Lille finished fourth at the end of the 2023/24 season finished in Ligue 1, meaning they had a chance of qualifying for the competition.
Since Monaco in the 2016/2017 edition, no French team had managed to chart a route through the Champions League qualifying rounds. The odds were against them, but Les Dogues managed to reach the competition stage by surpassing José Mourinho's Fenerbahçe and SK Slavia Prague.
They were greeted with a nightmarish draw in the competition proper as they would have to play Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool. After a poor start against Sporting, Lille have met each of their challenges with a grin, becoming one of the most endearing stories in the Champions League and Chevalier one of the breakout stars.
Chevalier's performance against reigning champion Real Madrid was especially special. It was an announcement on the big stage of what people in France already knew: this goalkeeper has his future in his hands. Lille had outperformed Los Blancos for most of their 1-0 victory, but as the minutes ticked by the French side had to rely more heavily on Chevalier.
The goalkeeper was in constant action as a sleepy Real team woke up and began to tense its muscles. Chevalier was tasked with making a number of reflex saves to clear a stacked Vinicius Jr. attack squad. and keep Kylian Mbappé at bay. The young goalkeeper looked at ease despite the mounting pressure and secured Lille a victory that will be cherished long after this season is over.
The match took place the day before Didier Deschamps was due to announce his France squad for the penultimate international break of the year. And there were widespread calls for the head coach to undermine his reputation for slowness in fitting new players into the squad and hand Chevalier his first international call-up. It wasn't meant to be.
Lille head coach Bruno Génésio tempered expectations and praised his goalkeeper by suggesting “he is getting closer” to a call-up. However, he also warned Deschamps that it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the young Frenchman's performances: “I hope it is not just because he is in Lille that he is not picked… When we see the performances he has achieved in the Champions League, which for me is the highest level of football, we can say that it is now at international level.”
Deschamps agreed. And during the last international break of 2024, the Lille goalkeeper received his first call-up to the team. Chevalier did not play any minutes in France's draw against Israel or the win over Italy. However, it was clear that the young goalkeeper now had his foot in the door. He had replaced Alphonse Areola and became the third-choice goalkeeper.
Chevalier will not allow himself to reach a plateau and each milestone he has achieved has clearly given him a greater need to achieve more. 2024 was an important year in his journey, but it is far from the final step. It is clear that the Lille goalkeeper is aiming to become France's number one and replace his former teammate Mike Maignan.
Lille will certainly hope that they can keep Chevalier for as long as possible as it is clear that he is a leader who makes the team better. However, his performances in the Champions League have not only earned the appreciation of his national coach, but also the hungry eyes of Europe's elite.
GFFN | Nick Hartland
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