This week’s “Talents of the Week” takes us to France and Switzerland. While one player has already established himself in a Top 5 league, the other two are still on the fringes, preparing for their move in the summer. I’ve got three midfielders with different profiles to present to you today: a creator, a second striker, and a box-to-box powerhouse.
Kevin Danois, 21, AJ Auxerre
Kevin Danois has already established himself as a vital part of the midfield at AJ Auxerre. Often playing as a central midfielder, Danois is the archetype of a modern “connector.” He excels at linking play and helps his team progress up the pitch. On top of his technical qualities, he works hard and relentlessly pushes his team forward.
Statistically, Danois is an elite ball progressor. He ranks in the 91st percentile for ball recoveries (6.58 per 90) and shows high efficiency in his delivery, particularly with his crossing from the half-spaces (95th percentile accuracy). He is primarily a creator who often plays the “penultimate pass,” helping his team sustain pressure on the opponent.
He covers a massive amount of ground and is incredibly involved in all phases of possession. His ability to create chances from deeper positions (89th percentile in key passes) stands out but he also stabilizes the midfield with his work out of possession.
His main development areas are his defensive awareness and raw pace. While he is a robust dueller, he can sometimes be caught out of position and then lack the pace to recover. His acceleration is decent but his top-end speed isn’t elite. He relies more on his dribbling and ball control in tight spaces to escape pressure.
Danois is a robust, high-volume midfielder whowants to be the heartbeat of his team’s ball-possession and progression. He is a versatile asset for teams looking for a “No. 8” who can contribute to both ends of the pitch. His lack of pace can be a concern for Premier League clubs but I believe he makes up for it with his intelligence. Statistically he is closest to Bernardo Silva who also lacks pace but has done alright for himself in England.
Jonathan Asp, 20, Grasshoppers Zurich
Jonathan Asp is currently out on loan in Switzerland from Bayern Munich and has torn up the Swiss Super League with seven goals and five assists. He is a very attack-minded midfielder with lots of flair and a willing shooter. Standing with a long-legged, tall frame, Asp combines often deceptive acceleration with good dribbling (94th percentile for successful dribbles).
Asp’s data points toward a player who primarily creates for himself. He is a high-volume shooter (93rd percentile) who already has a trademark move: cutting inside from the left half-space to finish into the far corner. His movement is clever and unpredictable, allowing him to find pockets of space.
Asp is most dangerous when allowed the freedom to carry the ball into big spaces or navigate tight areas with his close control. His clinical finishing makes him dangerous at all times. Unlike many young No. 10s, he has a good physical frame that allows him to shield the ball effectively while driving forward.
The trade-off for his offensive brilliance is a lack of defensive contribution. Asp currently offers very little out-of-possession, and his passing can sometimes be frustratingly inconsistent (ranking in the bottom 5th percentile for accurate passes). He tends to hold onto the ball too long, searching for the dribble rather than the simple layoff.
Asp is a high-risk, high-reward player. He is a natural goalscorer from midfield whose goals often exceed his xG due to his elite finishing ability. His decision-making and defensive contribution desperately need to improve. He creates for himself rather than for others, which can be a desirable quality because Asp is very self-sufficient and can create high-quality chances out of nothing. I believe in impact over success for young players, which makes Asp a very interesting talent. Given the recent pathway of young players like Pavlović or Karl into Bayern Munich’s first team, I could see Asp getting his chance in Germany.
Patrick Zabi, 19, Stade Reims
Patrick Zabi is the most physically imposing prospect on this list. At just 19 years old, the Stade Reims midfielder (who moves to Paris FC in the summer) possesses a powerful, athletic frame and the acceleration to glide past opponents. He also likes to get involved in his team’s possession, ranking in the 93rd percentile for total touches.
Zabi is a defensive monster in the making. His ball recovery stats are in the 98th percentile (7.89 per 90), and he is exceptionally strong in duels. However, he isn’t just a ball-winner. He is composed under pressure, uses body feints effectively to escape markers, and constantly looks to combine with teammates, frequently trying to play one-twos to bypass a press.
Tactically, Zabi can be classed as a box-to-box midfielder. He covers every blade of grass and has the technical floor to contribute to build-up play—with both feet. His ability to win the ball in the final third (86th percentile) makes him a nightmare for teams trying to play out from the back. He wants to be involved, and due to his athleticism, he has the capacity to be involved in every phase.
A weakness in his game is his technique. While he generally possesses very good ball control, his first touch can occasionally be clumsy, though his physical power often allows him to keep the ball regardless. Additionally, his discipline needs work, as he commits a high volume of fouls (bottom 9th percentile).
Zabi is a physical monster with the technical foundation to become a world-class box-to-box midfielder. His combination of elite recovery numbers, dribbling ability, and aerial presence (winning 58.5% of his headers) is incredibly rare for a teenager. His aerial success rate, in particular, points to a midfielder who will have no problems adapting to a big league. He is definitely a diamond in the rough. He needs to improve his tactical discipline and his temperament with and without the ball, but he could easily anchor a Premier League midfield in the near future. I would compare him to Amadou Onana from Aston Villa due to his physique but also his style of play. Paris FC is a good step for him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were only for one season.
