FEATURE | 6 bargain buys from Ligue 1’s relegated sides | OneFootball

Stade de Reims will join AS Saint-Étienne and Montpellier HSC in making the drop to Ligue 2 for next season after losing to FC Metz in the relegation play-off on Thursday night. There is no shortage of talent in this Reims side, which will inevitably be torn apart. The likes of Valentin Atangana, Yehvann Diouf, Amadou Koné, and Keito Nakamura now represent incredible market opportunities for clubs looking for a bargain. Get French Football News picks out six players ripe for the taking from Ligue 1’s relegated sides.

Valentin Atangana (19) – Reims

In what was his first full season in the elite, Atangana has done his chances of a move no harm this season, despite Reims’ relegation. Granted, there have been peaks and troughs in the France U21 international’s season. He began very strongly under Luka Elsner before a mid-season dip. He then came back strongly towards the end of the campaign but struggled in the relegation play-off against Metz. Fluctuation is normal, especially for a player in their first season and one has to be a firefighter in a struggling side. He covers the ground well, is combative, and is also strong in terms of ball retention, however, in the No.6 role, he was expected to be a miracle worker at times and, naturally, he was left over-exposed. Despite his athletic capabilities, he couldn’t be everywhere at once, putting out multiple fires across the pitch. His is a profile that will be highly sought after, either by Ligue 1 clubs, who will once again be cash-strapped, or even by Premier League sides.

Lucas Stassin (20) – Saint-Étienne

Stassin arrived for big money in the summer and initially struggled to live up to the €10m price tag, however, he came into his own as the season progressed, ending the campaign as Saint-Étienne’s top scorer in Ligue 1 with 12 goals. He finished the season injured and that certainly had a bearing on ASSE’s fate in the final games. There remains an inconsistency in Stassin’s finishing but his poacher-like instincts, melded with his direct running, make him a handful for defenders. His link-up is also strong, too, with the Belgian registering five assists in Ligue 1. Reports suggest that, had he not been injured, his form would have earned him a first Belgium call-up for the upcoming international break.

It remains to be seen whether Stassin will truly be a bargain. Saint-Étienne are recently moneyed and are capable of retaining their key assets, however, should Stassin push for a move, Les Verts’ hand may be forced. Regardless, it has been suggested that they may ask for as much as €20m. But within the context of the centre-forward market, for a 20-year-old player pushing for a place in the Belgium set-up, and who has proven himself in Ligue 1, it is certainly worth a punt.

Bećir Omeragić (23) – Montpellier

Many of Montpellier’s most bankable assets have already departed. Mousa Al-Taamari, Akor Adams, and Arnaud Nordin all left in January, whilst Maxime Estève left the previous season. There remain a couple of promising midfielders in the form of Khalil Fayad and Joris Chotard – the latter won the silver medal with France in last summer’s Olympics. However, neither has had a strong campaign and will struggle to fetch big fees this summer. The same does not apply to Omeragić, who, despite forming part of the worst defence in Ligue 1 last season, still comes out of the campaign with a degree of credit. The Swiss international fits the mould of the modern centre-back, calm on the ball and progressive with it. He is a strong box defender, too, and is therefore great in implementing a low-block. Montpellier’s financial issues mean that a sale is compulsory, and it leaves buying clubs in a position of great strength. He could cost as little as €5m and that is a steal for a player of his quality and for one who has already been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League.

Yehvann Diouf (25) – Reims

Diouf has shown over the course of the season that he is ready for an elite club. He is the only reason that Reims’ relegation was not automatic. The Ivorian has the best post-shot xG figures not only in Ligue 1, but in Europe’s top five leagues, whilst he also made the fifth most saves in Europe’s top five leagues. Diouf was dreadfully over-exposed throughout the campaign and was a valuable last line of defence, and the best goalkeeper, statistically, in Ligue 1.

Photo credit: Luke Entwistle

The best shot-stopper in Ligue 1, the Reims captain should be considered by some of the elite clubs in France; the likes of OGC Nice and AS Monaco are in the market for goalkeepers this summer and Diouf shouldn’t be overlooked. At 25, he is young for a goalkeeper but already wears the armband and has accrued a great deal of experience. This was Diouf’s third full season as Reims’ No.1 and, despite relegation, it was his most accomplished.

Zuriko Davitashvili (24) – Saint-Étienne

The Georgian is perhaps the name that jumps off the sheet. Davitashvili, alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Georges Mikautadze, is part of this vanguard of emerging Georgian talent. In his first season in Ligue 1, he netted nine goals and registered eight assists. It is a considerable return from a player in a team that was relegated. An eye-catching player, certain compromises have to be made to accommodate Davitashviili, and there are suggestions that at times he is too individualistic, but his is a profile that is once again in vogue. Just a few kilometres down the road in Lyon, Rayan Cherki is doing similar things, albeit on a higher level, but Davitashvili and Cherki fall into the same category of mavericks that the game looked to be shifting away from just a couple of years ago. Cherki is now one of the most coveted players on the market, and Davitashvili could be, too. Like Stassin, he falls into the category of perhaps being harder to obtain, due to Saint-Étienne’s strong financial footing. They won’t be desperate to sell, but Davitashvili, who played the previous campaign in Ligue 2 with Girondins de Bordeaux, will be desperate not to take a step back in his career.

Keito Nakamura (24) – Reims

Junya Ito will naturally be a player strongly linked with a departure, as will Mamadou Diakhon, linked with a big-money move to the Bundesliga. However, out of Reims’ forwards, Nakamura has had the strongest campaign. Like his compatriot Takumi Minamino down in Monaco, Nakamura needed time to adjust in Ligue 1. He arrived with great expectations in his first season but failed to live up to them. This season, he delivered, netting 11 goals in Ligue 1, a considerable total for a player who has played on the wing.

Photo credit: Luke Entwistle

A versatile forward, he has shown an eye for goal this season and would be an interesting, and now cheap option for many clubs in Ligue 1.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle