The Player Analyst

As the wider European season comes to an end, so too does a certain loan spell in the Belgian Pro League. There is an abundance of exciting products of French football, which leaves many in the shadows of superstars such as Rayan Cherki, Maghnes Akliouche and dozens more. The player in focus today, is among the most underrated of the bunch. 

To clarify the current context of this player’s season, Cercle Brugge act largely in tandem with their superior partner club, AS Monaco. The French giants secured a majority stake in May 2017 and since this date, have regularly sent young talents to Belgium, in order to develop and progress in an environment which offers the necessary playing time. Think BlueCo, but rather than the bigger club snapping up every bit of stardom produced, the smaller club is offered (perhaps more ordered to take) 1 year of a player’s time. Both are made to seem mutually beneficial, which they can be, but in most cases, the inferior club is exploited.

Many of Monaco’s loanees that end up in the Belgian capital can be difficult to judge. There are slight winners, such as Milan centre back Strahinja Pavlović and Polish goalkeeper Radosław Majecki, who kept 9 clean sheets and gave the Green and Blacks a more competitive edge. The ‘keeper went on to start 38 games for Monaco, including a full run-out in the Champions League, and now finds himself at Brest. This exemplifies an anomaly however, as there are plenty of duds, too many to name. It is not a fully-productive system, but I have identified French midfielder Edan Diop to break this pattern. Let me tell you why…

Broadly, Diop operates as a central midfielder. His positional heatmap this season shows a clear dominance towards the left side of the field, which tactically allows him to drift inside to dangerous areas, or link up with flying fullback Flávio Nazinho. Quick, direct and excellent with the ball at his feet, the French youth international possesses the typical qualities of an exciting wonderkid in the modern era. What I’m interested in, is what separates him from the archetypal prospect, to a guaranteed superstar.

Footballing IQ is a phrase the media loves. The ability to see things before they happen, interpret space to a team’s advantage and understand opposition weaknesses prior to their fix. Diop has showcased this numerous times, consistently leading to chances, having orchestrated 44 so far this season. His 125 touches in the opposition box is amongst the best in the league from a midfield position, as well as his 25 possessions won in the final third, putting him in the 97th percentile in Belgium. These statistics are not just numbers, they represent how directly influential Edan Diop is in effective positions, constantly reading the play to win the ball high, and linking up with his forwards to craft efforts on goal.

7 league goals and 3 assists are not ground-breaking numbers, although as a midfielder, only Daan Heymans and Ryotaro Ito have more goals to their name, arguably operating in more advanced positions this season than the French youngster. His G+A contributions have helped Cercle Brugge to a comfortable finish away from relegation, including huge wins against Standard Liege away and Anderlecht away, two games against much better opposition that Diop dominated.

Whilst title-winning French forwards grip the spotlight across Europe, I hope to see the quiet development of Edan Diop continue, eventually sparking into a phenomenal success story, where his time in Bruges will be looked at as the catalyst for what’s to come.