After a certain Monaco man on another list, Ludovic Blas was the 2nd best player on France’s U19 Euros-winning team last summer. Bayern are monitoring him very closely, as he is a tricky dribbler with vision, but he should join a mid-tier side like Fiorentina or Schalke and hone his kills before shooting his shot at the European elite. Above all, Blas must figure out his best position. Is he a #6, an #8, a #10 or a wide playmaker? Tactically and spatially, he is good enough to be a controller, but his press-evasion and balance allows him to play as an interior, while his footballing brain is good enough for him to pursue the trequartista role. He has been likened to Thomas Lemar, and he has the potential to be France’s next great showman. Brings good link-up play and a general knowledge of associative play to the table, as he is skilled at getting the best out of his Guingamp and France forwards. He has to improve his passing, but his dribbling and intelligence are beyond his years. At the risk of sounding esoteric, Ludovic Blas is, in every sense of the word, an effervescent, showboating, central winger.
Photo Credit: Uwe Anspach