Who is Facundo Medina? The Argentine centre-back lighting up Ligue 1

Jacque Talbot

3 Nov 2023 07:50 CDT
6 min read

Facundo Medina has been one of Ligue 1’s best central defenders over the past 18 months.

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As such, the Lens defender is attracting interest from clubs in the Premier League, with FootballlTransfers exclusively revealing that the Argentine is set for a move away from the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in 2024.

But what do we know about Medina?

What club does Medina play for?

Medina plays for Lens in France. He was an instrumental part of their title charge in the 2022/23 season, where the club missed out on the Ligue 1 by a single point to Paris Saint-Germain.

What position does Medina play in?

Medina is a centre-back, but he can also operate as a left-back given his superb ball-playing ability.

How good is Medina?

Born in Villa Fiorito, Argentina, Medina played for River Plate and Talleres before making the move to Lens in 2020, coming in after the club’s promotion from Ligue 2.

The 24-year-old became a key component for the side during his inaugural campaign as they finished seventh, landing European football. He soon emerged as one of the first names on the teamsheet in subsquent seasons and helped the side finish second in the league despite the departures of Cheick Doucoure, Jonathan Clauss, and Arnaud Kalimuendo.

© ProShots - Medina was previously linked to Brighton and Man Utd

Medina is very much a modern-day centre-back given his ability with the ball at his feet, but he is also an astute tackler, helping Lens turnover the ball and begin counterattacks.

Medina also possesses sublime passing range and can often be seen breaking the lines through his pinpoint accuracy. His technical ability would rival that of a traditional midfielder, which is why so many elite sides have registered an interest in the Lens star.

However, Medina is quite single-footed and struggles to use his right, while he fails to win a high volume of headers, something that would likely put off a number of clubs who like to play direct football.

Medina will likely leave Lens despite signing a new deal until 2026. He has previously been linked to Manchester United and Brighton.

He debuted for Argentina in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying victory away to Bolivia, coming on for Man Utd defender Lautaro Martínez. He has earned three caps for his international side so far.