AS Monaco were one of the busiest French clubs in the 2024 summer transfer window. The club finished second in the 2023-24 season and will play in the UEFA Champions League this season. They needed a top-quality squad to advance to the knockout stages of the competition. Over the years, the French club has produced some of the top young talents in French football. This season, they decided to invest more in young players.
Christian Mawissa was one such player who arrived in the summer. The 19-year-old French midfielder played just 19 Ligue 1 matches for Toulouse before joining Monaco. He was one of the most in-demand players in the transfer market. AS Roma were also eyeing a move for the youngster.
Mawissa made his debut against Lens just before the international break. He was impressive in his side’s 1-1 draw in the league. As we go further into the campaign, here is a look at what this youngster has to offer and what are the areas where the manager would like him to improve.
Impressive spell at Toulouse
Christian Mawissa played in 17 Ligue 1 games for Toulouse in the 2023-24 campaign. He was just 18 and had a decent spell with his previous side. The pizza chart shows the percentile rank of the Frenchman in comparison to other right centre-backs in Tier 1 league football. Mawissa was ranked highly in the attacking and possession department. His defensive contributions also turned out to be decent.
The first plot measures a centre-back’s aerial presence and effectiveness, crucial for defending set pieces and crosses. The second plot illustrates the centre-back’s ability to engage in and win defensive one-on-one situations. High values in both metrics suggest a reliable defender. Christian Mawissa won 45% of his aerial duels and 60% of his defensive duels. This was a decent winning percentage for a teenager.
The 19-year-old was used on both sides of the defence. Most of his defensive contributions came on the flanks. Mawissa made quite a few interceptions to stop the opposition’s attack. In addition to this, the youngster also regained the ball high up on the field. Four recoveries even led to a shot within the next 20 seconds. The Frenchman made seven blocks. This shows that he is not afraid to put his body on the line.
AS Monaco can expect a few goals from this teenager. Christian Mawissa carries an aerial threat inside the opposition penalty box. In addition to this, the player is impressive with his skills on the ball. He can pass the ball to the final third. The ball-playing ability is what every manager demands from modern footballers.
How things have started at AS Monaco?
Christian Mawissa started as the left centre-back against Lens. He stayed wider, giving cover to the left-back. The youngster made two interceptions and maintained a high line. Once again, Mawissa played some progressive passes. He has grown into confidence and we might see more passes to the final third in the upcoming games.
Adi Hutter will hope to get the best out of this teenage defender. Christian Mawissa has shown some promise and could be the next big thing in French football.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine