Eyebrows were raised when Lyon broke their club-record fee to sign Moussa Niakhaté from Nottingham Forest. A transfer that was born out of the indistinct relationship between John Textor and Evangelo...
Eyebrows were raised when Lyon broke their club-record fee to sign Moussa Niakhaté from Nottingham Forest. A transfer that was born out of the indistinct relationship between John Textor and Evangelos Marinakis, the Senegalese international centre back’s performances has seen the €31.5m transfer fee and the motivations behind the move largely forgotten.
The 29-year-old has become an ever-present figure for Les Gones over the past two seasons since he arrived at the Groupama Stadium. He made 30 starts last season for OL – the most of any player within Paulo Fonseca’s squad. This reliability has seen him become a major part of the dressing room at Lyon and assume a leadership role. Following the departure of Alexandre Lacazette on a free transfer at the end of last season, his leadership was rewarded with the vice captaincy.
Whilst availability is an important attribute of any footballer, this is something that Niakhaté can offer in abundance, performances are the most important thing that a coach looks for, and the French-born defender has become dependable for the former Lille manager. The former Nottingham Forest centre back is one of the first names on the team sheet and formed an impressive relationship at the back with unorthodox central defender Clinton Mata. Despite a difficult spell, the pair were the inspiration behind a more resolute back line as they conceded nine fewer goals last season than the prior season.
A greater role at international level
In possession, Niakhaté is particularly pivotal to the way Fonseca wants his team to play. The former Mainz defender is instrumental in progressing play forward and bringing the ball out from defence into midfield. Drifting from his position is something that the Senegal international isn’t afraid to do either, especially when the opportunity presents itself, the centre back is more than happy to charge forward as an unlikely threat on the counterattack. This season, the centre-back has also shown confidence from the penalty spot, scoring his first goal in more than a year against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League.
Internationally, his rise at club level has also been reflected in his increased importance for Senegal, where he has grown into a trusted option within Aliou Cissé’s defensive rotation. His versatility to operate across the back line, as well as in back-three or back-four structures, has strengthened his case as one of the more complete defenders available.
With an improving status at both club and international level, Niakhaté has transformed himself from the periphery at Nottingham to one of the best defenders in Ligue 1.
Category: General Sports
