Who is Adil Aouchiche? The Saint-Etienne youngster who turned Arsenal down

James Shearman

Updated: 20 Oct 2021 14:45 BST
6 min read

Adil Aouchiche, Saint-Etienne — © ProShots

As Saint-Etienne sit bottom of Ligue 1 after 10 games, one player that could be headed for the exit door sooner rather than later is Adil Aouchiche.

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The Frenchman helped Les Verts to an eleventh place finish last season, starting 21 times, but has struggled to break into the starting lineup this time round.

There could be a host of clubs eyeing up the playmaker, for a cut-price fee, should the French side's woes continue.

So, what kind of player is he?

What position does Aouchiche play in?

Aouchiche usually plays as a central midfielder or an attacking midfielder.

How good is Aouchiche?

In his first full season, the 2020/21 campaign, Aouchiche registered five Ligue 1 assists and scored just the one goal.

A decent return that, understandably, gives the impression he is much more of a playmaker than a goalscoring threat.

However, that is not necessarily true as in 2019 he broke the record for goals in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship, scoring nine times for France.

Strikes against England, Sweden, Netherlands and the Czech Republic drew plenty of attention to the then-PSG youngster.

So while he is yet to bring such prowess in front of goal to the senior game, it is an an ability that is waiting to be unlocked.

And perhaps this is the most crucial improvement to be made not only for himself but for Claude Puel's team, who have scored the least goals in Ligue 1 this season.

The French boss has brought Aouchiche on significantly, however, since signing for the club.

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"I progressed on my weak points defensively, as well as physically. Now I keep the ball better under pressure,'' the playmaker said.

"I also learned to have less of the ball and to move better on the field. I learned to defend more.

"Here, I learned that a ball in a match is very precious and important, you can’t lose it like that. At PSG, if you lose a ball, you know that you will have plenty of others and that you will be able to try new things.

"Here, if you lose it, the opposition can score against your team. I made good progress thanks to the coach, he spoke to me a lot. I am an important player in the eyes of the coach and in the eyes of the club, I feel really good here."

Aouchiche's recognition of how important ball retention is is reflected in his game as he possesses a lovely poise and balance on the ball which allows him to get out of sticky situations either via a pass or a dribble away from danger.

What clubs are interested in Aouchiche?

Aouchiche left Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2020 after making just one appearance for the Champions League contenders.

The Frenchman was subject to interest from Mikel Arteta's Arsenal as well as Brendan Rodgers' Leicester City before opting to stay in France.

The reason for joining St-Etienne may have been guaranteed gametime, but having developed over the last two seasons a move to the Premier League could be on the cards, even if the starts have dried up a little.

But, for now, the youngster is happy with the decision. ''I have zero regrets about having left PSG,'' he said.

''I have played a lot for my age. I am improving a lot here in the areas that I needed to improve.''