With the 2016/17 Ligue 1 season starting on Friday when Bastia meet Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco host Guingamp, Ian Hawkey looks at the five players to watch this season in the French top flight:
Hatem Ben Arfa, Paris Saint-Germain
Once the enfant terrible of French football, the dazzling winger, signed from Nice by Paris Saint-Germain, now finds himself the champions' poster-boy, and charged with giving to PSG some of the glamour that the departed Zlatan Ibrahimovic used to. It is quite a challenge for the 29-year-old, who just missed out on France's squad for Euro 2016, but his excellent 2015/16 with Nice, when he scored 17 goals, suggests the Ligue 1 environment suits him.
Radamel Falcao, Monaco
Falcao has not had a happy last two years, injury denying him the chance to spearhead Colombia at the 2014 World Cup and at the next summer’s Copa America and inhibiting his spells at Manchester United and Chelsea. Ominously, a hamstring problem will hinder his start to the new campaign with Monaco, his owners through his loans to the Premier League heavyweights. They paid a great deal of money – over €60 million (Dh244.9m) – for the once lethal striker and will hope there are goals still in his tank.
Nabil Fekir, Lyon
He was the great absentee from most of Lyon’s last campaign, ruled out with a leg break from early autumn until close to the end of the season. The injury cost him an almost certain place in the national team’s European Championship plans, too. Fekir, 23, remains one of French football’s brightest young prospects, creative, decisive from attacking midfield and, fitness permitting, a reason for Lyon to believe they can e the best-equipped pursuers of PSG in the title race.
Jeremy Menez, Bordeaux
So much potential, so much frustration. The skilful Menez was one of the prodigies bracketed together from their early teens, amid great expectations, as France’s celebrated “Generation 1987”, players seemingly bound for greatness. He, like his contemporaries Samir Nasri and Hatem Ben Arfa, have fallen short of that more often than not as grown-ups. Menez, formerly of Monaco, Roma and PSG, has now come home, after a spell at AC Milan, to join Bordeaux. He should supply some brilliant cameos. What Ligue 1 hopes for is some consistency to go with them.
Emanuel Mammana Lyon
Might well turn out a shrewd signing by Olympique Lyonnais, renowned masters of youth development and of the transfer market. Having sold one young central defender, French Euro 2106 finalist, Samuel Umtiti to Barcelona, they have taken on, for just under €10m, the Argentinian 20-year-old Mammana, from River Plate. Impressive at the Under-17 World Cup in UAE in 2013, Mammana is a full Argentina international, a fine marker and comfortable on the ball.
