This is taken from the GFFN 100, our leading 150-page FREE publication ranking the best 100 players in France, see the full list and read every profile right here.<\/p>\n
Before breaking (back) into the limelight as a part of Morocco\u2019s World Cup adventure, Sofiane Boufal had been quietly, but confidently, establishing himself as a pivotal figure within Angers\u2019 attack.<\/p>\n
Since moving back across the Channel from Southampton, Boufal has been the unchallenged technical leader of the squad, albeit having suffered from a few injury problems when he first arrived. He is now the standout player in an inconsistent side that has turned in a diabolical calendar year as 2022 saw the purple patch at the start of G\u00e9rald Baticle\u2019s reign wash away as quickly as it arrived.<\/p>\n
Last season, Boufal was the western side\u2019s best performer in a campaign that went from the peaks of a 3-0 win over Lyon to the nadirs of a seven-game losing streak at the turn of the year. Statistically, he registered the best season of his career since his final campaign at Lille six years ago. His upturn in end product hasn\u2019t come to the detriment of his flair either, as he remains one of Ligue 1\u2019s prime entertainers on the pitch.<\/p>\n
Now no longer rigidly sticking to the flank, a hitherto undiscovered tactical nous had come to the fore in Boufal’s game under the management of Baticle. This year, the 29-year-old\u2019s three goals and three assists have seen him involved in nearly half of the team\u2019s goals – even his silky feet are no match for Angers\u2019 downward slide.<\/p>\n
On the world stage, his penchant for taking his man on to break lines and lead counterattacks along with his other technically adept midfield partners has stood out. The approach has garnered praise for Walid Regragui\u2019s side, who have been a breath of fresh air in the increasingly uniform tactical landscape that is international football.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, Le SCO\u2019s president Sa\u00efd Chabane is under no illusions: the chances of Boufal staying, along with his international teammate and the World Cup\u2019s breakout star Azzedine Ounahi, are close to zero. Not least with the club currently languishing at the foot of the Ligue 1 table.<\/p>\n
Rapha\u00ebl Jucobin | GFFN<\/p>\n