Saint-Etienne snubbed opportunity to sign “monster” Alphonso Davies in 2017 | OneFootball

AS Saint-Etienne snubbed the opportunity to sign then-16-year-old Canadian wing-back Alphonso Davies, according to Chris Mavinga (31).

The Los Angeles Galaxy defender revealed to RMC Sport that Les Verts have disregarded signing the future Bayern Munich defender, because Canada was “not a footballing country.” The former Liverpool and Stade Rennais man played six seasons with Toronto FC, with whom he won the MLS Cup and the Canadian Championship in 2017.

That year, Mavinga came across a skilled 16-year-old Vancouver Whitecaps wing-back called Alphonso Davies. Mavinga then rang his agent to speak about the “monster” he played against. The Congolese international asked his agent if he can suggest Davies to French clubs. “He offered Saint-Etienne to sign him. The club was still in Ligue 1 at the time.” Les Verts’ answer was blunt and came back to haunt them now that Davies had become one of the best wing-backs in the world. “They said they did not want that player, because he didn’t play in a footballing country in Canada“, revealed Mavinga.

Davies went on to join Bayern Munich in 2018 and won all four German titles since. He became the first Canadian international to lift the Champions League in 2020. Meanwhile, Saint-Etienne are a struggling eighteenth-placed Ligue 2 side.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval