Ready for a fun one today? Perhaps the hidden gem of the French U21 squad, a player many questioned the selection of for this tournament, but a player who has fully silenced all doubters: Djaoui Cissé.

I really cannot stress how much fun Cissé is to watch, he was one of two players (the other is tomorrow’s feature!) who really reminded me why I love football at the U21 Euros.

Djaoui Cissé, a 21 year old French/Malian midfielder who came through the Rennes academy into their first team, was somewhat of a surprise selection to Les Bleus supporters coming into the tournament. He remained on the bench for their first match against Portugal, and then was subbed on with only a minute remaining in the second match against Georgia.

Then, in the final group stage match, he was unleashed on Poland. First, a thundering long shot from Cissé couldn’t be handled by the keeper and was headed in by Nathan Zeze to give France a 1-0 lead, with Cissé being rightfully credited with an assist. Right after the ensuing kickoff, Cissé steals the ball, runs forward, notices the Polish keeper off his line and curls a beautiful shot over the keeper into the top left corner from about 25 yards. Then before the first half could end, Cissé struck again from outside the box, receiving a cross-field pass from the right wing, turning onto his weaker left foot and powering a shot past the keeper at the near post. So in the first half, 3 Cissé long shots turned into 3 goals for France, with him scoring a goal on either foot. Pretty decent debut, no? France went on to be 4-1 winners, with Djaoui Cissé named the man of the match.

In the quarterfinals against a very strong Denmark team, he once again put in an all-around midfield performance, and showed that he doesn’t only rely on long shots to score. In this match, Cissé showed great anticipation and off the ball movement, playing a quick interchange with a teammate while running into the box, before taking the return pass in stride, dribbling a defender, and then calmly slotting home a goal on his left foot.

Cissé has played 181 minutes in the U21 Euro so far, almost exactly two full 90’s. In this time he has recorded 3 goals from 8 shots (5 on target), a 90% pass completion rate along with an impressive 75% long ball completion rate. On the ball, he has yet to be dispossessed, has a 75% success rate in dribbles, tackles, and duels, and has 13 recoveries.

He is truly an all-around midfielder, capable of playing as a 6, an 8, or as the 10. Cissé glides around the pitch when running, looking effortless and with physical levels remaining high throughout a full 90. His positioning sense both in and out of possession is very impressive for a young midfielder. He has high work rate, and hustles back in transition. His high pressing ability was recognizable, and is a good sign for his ability to play at a UCL level club.

When on the ball, he has a bit of that Mousa Dembélé ability to just weave through defenders to progress the ball up the pitch. His first touch and dribbling ability was impressive, along with his sense for where both he and the ball need to go. Cissé is a press resistant midfielder who can use his strong 188cm frame to hold off defenders, and his agility and technical ability to beat them with a quick turn.

A very strong comparison for Djaoui Cissé, both in playstyle and career path, is Pape Matar Sarr. Both players broke into first team football in Ligue 1, Sarr for FC Metz, and Cissé for Rennes. They are midfielders who can truly play any role in midfield, the type of player that managers dream of having. The success of Sarr in the Premier League is a very strong indicator of how Djaoui Cissé might fare. From what I have seen so far, Cissé looks to be a bit physically stronger than Sarr already, which furthers his case for being a potential Premier League star, where physical traits are so important.

Overall, Djaoui Cissé was one of my favorite players I watched at the U21 Euros. With France still to play the semifinals and potentially the final, this will be a great opportunity to further scout Cissé and his performance in the biggest moments of the tournament. From what I have seen so far, I strongly believe that Djaoui Cissé has potential to play for a very top club in Europe. His versatility and general lack of weaknesses in his game would allow him to be coached into the player I believe he can become. Whichever club signs him from Rennes will be given a unique player that if developed correctly, can be come one of the world’s best.

Djaoui Cissé, One to Watch!!