French Football is likely in its healthiest space since its absolute peak in the naughties, where they managed to assemble a group of players that likely could take on any other from the sport's history.
Though the current incarnation of Les Blues may not have the dapper swag of, say, Thierry Henry or the star power of Zidane, it is blessed with an embarrassment of riches, with many pundits and commentators alike claiming that a France 2nd eleven might be one of football's best sides alongside their first.
Though much of France's elite talent is developed insularly at a few famed youth academics in the countries largest metro hubs or the fabled INF Clairefontaine, the nation's provincial clubs do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to developing top-level talents.
Much has been made of Riyad Mahrez and N'Golo Kante's journey through France's second-tier; however, outside of those, Ibrahima Konate, Dayot Upamecano, Maxence Lacroix, and Marcus Thuram have all graduated from the competition, going on to star in the game's biggest competitions. Beyond the development of French nationals, 24% of Ligue 2 is compromised of talents from the African continent, an area which few recruitment departments approach with the respect it deserves, and as such, you can often find a few who slip through the cracks and begin their European adventures in Ligue 2. Considering just how fertile Ligue 2 has proved to be over the decade, let us have a look to see if Rangers can take advantage.
Iron Gomis, Amiens
Gomis was seemingly minutes away from switching France’s north for western Germany when Schalke 04 attempted a late swoop for the midfielder in the 2020 summer window. For whatever reason, Gomis stayed put in Amiens and, despite the evident and explicit frustration, he has performed well for the club since then. Despite being born and raised in France, Gomis declared for the Senegalese national team, though, has yet to feature for the side, which is no embarrassment considering their central depth. Gomis is far more a progressive than conservative midfielder, most often playing as a No.8 in Amiens preferred 4-1-4-1 but can and will feature as a No.10 in their 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2. As such, he would satisfy one of the significant needs of the squad at Ibrox, a box-to-box No.8, albeit he is far less complete than some other No.8s that I have written about for The Rangers Review. Regardless, he remains a dynamic option to fill the currently vacated spot.
Gomis is involved in both phases of play, as evidenced by both of his offensive duels per90 and defensive duels per90 ranking in the top half of his Ligue 2 peers, with his offensive duels per90 ranking in the 94th percentile, encouraging given the vast majority of his work at Ibrox would be in that capacity.
The Amiens midfielder is also a very silky and effective dribbler of the ball, with really only Juninho Bacuna and Joe Aribo being able to compete aesthetically with Gomis in the midfield and numerically, only the Nigerian, as Gomis puts up an impressive 2.86 dribbles per90 at 62.07%, both ranking in the top third.
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When it comes to progressing the ball, Gomis is far more of a carrier than passer, as evidenced by his progressive passes and runs per90 output, though much of this can be explained when you consider his position, which naturally inhibits a lot of progressive passing opportunities as he is often on the receiving end. Gomis is no slouch out of possession, putting up impressive defensive numbers as well as anecdotally putting in plenty of effort when it comes to tracking runners and pressing ball carriers. He is yet to test himself at a higher level than Ligue 2 though that is not his fault, as discussed earlier. His positional versatility is outstanding and this coupled with a fee likely around £1million, means Gomis could be a cost-effective option, albeit risky.
Check Oumar Diakite, Paris FC
Another Ligue 2 midfield option comes from the capital, in the young and exciting Check Oumar Diakite. Diakite is just 19 but has emerged as one of the season’s breakouts. Diakite can play both as a No.6 and a No.8, compared to Kante on the french television channel Telefoot. The are similarities in abundance between both pint-sized midfielders, either possessing fantastic anticipation, appropriate aggression, ability on the ball, and in the tackle. Kante is one of the world’s best players; Diakite is more outwardly technical, showing a passing range and ability on the ball that I doubt the Chelsea-man had at 19. That is not to say that Diakite is destined for stardom and the success and riches associated; instead, he is definitely on the right path, and Rangers should offer him a quick pit-stop in Glasgow’s southside.
Despite being more comfortable as a No.6, Diakite has managed some fantastic offensive output this season due to his game intelligence and technical ability. His consistent attacking threat, whether in the form of goals, smart passes or carries, makes me think he could do a job as a No.8 in this Rangers side, though his size may inhibit his ability when just outside and inside the box.
Saying this, Diakite does his best work from around the halfway line to the tip of the semi-circle outside the box, as it is here where he is afforded the most space to roam, find passes, carry the ball, and often win it back after a teammate's mistake. Diakite would likely be best and most appropriate as a Glen Kamara replacement, albeit one with a more significant attacking threat, though he could do a job replacing both Ryan Jack and Steven Davis and, if pushed, could cover Scott Arfield’s responsibilities.
He would fit like a glove in either central role in Giovanni van Bronckhorst's preferred 4-2-31, though he would likely need someone with a more substantial build alongside him to avoid the risk of being overrun by an opposite side with more “metal”. Diakite would likely cost a decent fee as he still has 24 months left on his contract and has seriously impressed, though whatever it costs now should return triple in value once he decides to move on to a top-five league.
Formose Mendy, Amiens
Though it appears that Rangers are proactively dealing with our expected centre-back exodus this summer, singing up John Souttar on a pre-contract, and reports of similar being offered to Vitesse’s Danilho Doekhi, if the former fails to materialise, Rangers should head straight to Amiens (again!) and check out Senegal’s Formose Mendy.
Mendy only joined the side in the summer after stints in both Porto and Club Brugge’s academies, two of the best in Europe. Standing at 1.91m, Mendy admittedly does have a very slender frame, something that would be of immediate concern should he make a move across the channel. However, the rest of his game makes up entirely for any physical concerns surrounding the centre-back. Mendy is about as good with the ball at his feet as you can find for a centre-back outside the top-five leagues, eloquent both whilst moving with it and playing long balls, so much so you could flirt with the idea of moving him into the midfield.
Mendy’s xA, smart passes, and progressive passes all rank above the 78th percentile, corroborating to paint a pretty clear picture of an elite ballplayer, albeit at the Ligue 2 level. To make it even more impressive, Mendy plays a below-average number of passes per90, proving that he is incredibly economical and effective in the delivery, even if his accuracy is also in the bottom half.
Mendy’s +0.94 foul differential per90 is almost beyond comprehension; the output is impressive for a winger or No.10, let alone a centre-back who faces a decent number of offensive charges on his goal. Mendy is also defensively solid, putting up both per90 and success rates above the 92nd percentile for defensive duels.
He is decent in the air without being spectacular though he should improve as he beefs up, as he already has the height to influence aerial affairs. Given what he is now, Mendy would be the perfect option if van Bronckhorst wants to flirt with the idea of a three at the back, as it would be here where his values would be maximised and weaknesses hidden. Even if the side maintains the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, Mendy would be a fantastic option on either side, adding a creative threat from deep that even Connor Goldson or Souttar probably cannot provide.
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