PROFILE | Antonio Rüdiger-inspired Arouna Sangante leading Le Havre to Ligue 1 survival | OneFootball

Moving from Ligue 2 to Ligue 1, many wondered whether Arouna Sangante (21) could maintain his defensive dominance from last season, now playing against much stronger opponents. At 21 years of age, the centre-back has shown that he is more than ready for the top flight, proving to be one of the most impressive players in his position.

The Senegalese came through the Red Star FC academy before making the move to le Havre AC in 2017, only 14 at the time. He went on to climb the youth ranks there, finally making his first appearance for the first team back in the 2020/21 season. Since then, he has become a regular starter for the squad, making 67 appearances in the last two Ligue 1 seasons, and today is the captain for Luka Elsner’s side, the youngest captain in the league at that. Though Sangante was criticised for a poor start to the season, where he had failed to demonstrate any form of defensive assuredness in the first few games, today he is one of the main reasons for le HAC‘s promising return to Ligue 1.

Sangante needs to make in-possession improvements

Sangante has admitted that he takes inspiration from the Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger (30), with whom he shares several similar traits, one of which being his extreme proximity to the player he is marking, allowing him to be quick to intercept any incoming passes, often getting the better of the attacker. The 21-year-old is also a rigorous tackler, often catching either the ball or the player in the process, therefore very rarely seeing a dribbler run past him.

The defender now needs to improve in his usage of the ball, as too often he is guilty of imprecise passing and failing to progress the ball to relieve his team of incoming pressure. As a leader on the pitch, he also needs to be able to dictate how his team acts in difficult situations, which he has so far failed to do.

Le Havre are currently 11th in Ligue 1, and that is in great part due to their defensive rigidity, as they rank as the seventh-best defence in the league. They will need to continue their defensive prowess in the second half of the season if they are to stay up in the top flight. A big part of that defensive solidity is the result of Sangante’s form.

GFFN | Alfred Lalande