Christian Mawissa, a product of the esteemed Toulouse academy, has emerged as a promising young defender with a versatile skillset. The French-Congolese player, born in 2005, has showcased his adaptability by playing both fullback positions and even at center-back, demonstrating his potential in a market where there is high demand for such qualities. Mawissa’s versatility has been a key factor in his development.

He has shown a natural ability to adapt to different defensive roles, demonstrating his intelligence and tactical awareness. His performances at youth level earned move up quickly from the academy ranks at Toulouse, up to the first team, where he earning him a move to Ligue 1 giants AS Monaco this summer.

Player Profile

Technical Profile

Mawissa possesses solid technical ability for a defender. His passing range is decent, allowing him to initiate attacks from deep when playing central, but even to greater effect even at left-back. He is comfortable on the ball and can dribble out of pressure when necessary. His crossing ability is a work in progress, but he shows promise in delivering accurate balls into the box with time and development. The Frenchman’s ball carrying might be one of his stand out technical qualities. His versatility across the backline and suitability for those roles only enhance his profile.

Lamine Camara: Metz’s Next Senegalese Gem

Physical Attributes

Mawissa is a physically imposing defender with a strong frame, especially for when playing at fullback. He is strong and athletic, allowing him to win aerial duels and compete with physical forwards. His speed and agility are also assets, enabling him to cover ground quickly and recover defensively.

Mental Attributes

Mawissa appears to be a mature and composed player for his age. He has shown a willingness to take on responsibility and make key defensive interventions. His decision-making is generally sound, although there is room for improvement in terms of his positioning and anticipation, particularly due to the reliance on his physical prowess during defensive actions.

Maghnes Akliouche: Monaco’s In-House Solution Paving his Way in Ligue 1

Playing Style

On the Ball

Mawissa is a versatile defender who can play both left-back and center-back. As a left-back, he is comfortable pushing forward and joining the attack, combining his carrying power and pace to drive through thirds on the flank. He has a good delivery from wide areas and can provide width on the left flank. As a center-back, he is strong in the air( standing at 6 ‘1), and can be physical in his challenges. He is also capable of playing on the left in a back-three system, demonstrating his versatility. 

Christian Mawissa’s statistical profile reveals a dynamic and versatile defender with a surprising attacking output. While his passing completion percentage might seem low at 82.8%, it’s important to note that this is likely due to his more attacking style of play. His 3.14 progressive passes per 90 and 2.09 progressive carries per 90 demonstrate his ability to drive the ball forward and create attacking opportunities. His 1.93 successful take-ons per 90 are particularly impressive, highlighting his dribbling ability and his willingness to take on defenders.

Off the Ball 

Mawissa’s defensive actions can be characterised as a stopper, using his strength and anticipation to push up from the backline to win the ball before it arrives into the box, which is suited to his athletic ability, though this often comes with the risk of leaving his zones exposed if he’s dribbled through, something that reminds me a lot of Ibrahima Konaté when he first arrived at Liverpool, a trait that has been somewhat coached out. 

These zones aren’t uncommon for Mawissa, trying to win his duels ahead of the backline.

Mawissa is also very comfortable defending wide channels on either flank, as well as central zones, though his profile would be more suited to the former, as he shows great use of his strength and recovery pace when in lateral zones. His tackling, interceptions, blocks, and clearances statistics all rank in the top percentiles, indicating his effectiveness in preventing opposition attacks. His 1.53 aerials won per 90 show his strength in the air, which is a valuable asset for a defender.

His heat map shows his inclination to defend out of the box, as well as his coverage across defensive zones. [Sofascore]

Conclusion

Despite losing various key players like Wissam Ben Yedder, Youssouf Fofana, and Mohamed Camara in the summer transfer window, there are plenty of reasons to smile if you’re an AS Monaco supporter. They sit fourth in the Ligue 1 table, level on 7 points with Marseille (2nd), Nantes (3rd) and Lens (5th) and two points behind Paris Saint-Germain, having kicked off the season with a 1-0 win against Saint-Ètienne and a 2-0 win at Lyon before sharing the spoils in a draw with Lens at the principality.

Mawissa made his official debut vs. Lens, playing 81 minutes before suffering an injury and being replaced by Aleksandr Golovin. Monaco would open the scoring in the 84th minute via Denis Zakaria, but Przemysław Frankowski would level the scoring in the 94th minute from the penalty spot. The principality side will be looking to bounce back with a win in their upcoming trip to newly promoted Auxerre before hosting Barcelona in what will be their first UEFA Champions League match since December 11, 2018.

Photo: FBRef

Monaco have reinforced in the summer transfer window as they prepare to mark their presence in Europe’s premier competition, signing 20-year-old Senegalese midfielder Lamine Camara from Metz for €15 million, acquiring 17-year-old Nigerian striker George Ilenikhena from Royal Antwerp for €18.75m, and buying 24-year-old Dutch right back Jordan Teze from PSV Eindhoven for €10 million. They’ve made the signing of Thilo Kehrer permanent, paying West Ham €11 million for the 27-year-old German center back, whilst they’ve also purchased 18-year-old German striker Paris Brunner from Borussia Dortmund for €4 million.

However, their best deal of the summer may very well end up being the acquisition of Christian Mawissa, who has arrived on a five-year contract. Mawissa doesn’t turn 20 until April 18, but he’s already racked up two goals in 25 matches for Toulouse’s first team. Born in Saint-Jean-de-Verges to Congolese parents, Mawissa has represented France at the U17, U18 and U19 level and played a vital role in defense in Les Bleuets’ U-17 Euros conquest in 2022. Mawissa has big shoes to fill following the departure of Chilean veteran Guillermo Maripán after 150 appearances for Monaco, but there’s reason to believe that he will quickly make his €16 million transfer fee seem like a bargain.

At 19 years of age, Mawissa has everything it takes to develop into a top-level defender. His combination of physical attributes, technical quality in playing different roles, in different positions, will most certainly have top clubs monitoring his development, especially given the modern trajectory of defenders in the game. With continued development, he could become a key player for both Monaco and the French national team.

By: @free__flowing

Featured Image: @GabFoligno / SOPA Images / Light Rocket