Arthur Piedfort’s record Auxerre move puts him in line to replace Elisha Owusu | OneFootball

Arthur Piedfort, 21, has joined Auxerre from Westerlo for €5.5m, the biggest signing in the club’s history. According to L'Équipe, the Belgium Under-21 midfielder has four caps and is due to anchor Will Still’s 4-3-3, when Ligue 1 starts at Lens Saturday at 17:15.

The fee may not be eye-catching elsewhere, yet it is a significant outlay for owner James Zhou and underlines Piedfort’s importance. He replaces former captain Elisha Owusu, 28, who has joined Erzurumspor in Türkiye’s top flight.

Piedfort arrives on the back of a promising pre-season, capped by a fine winner at Werder Bremen last Saturday in a 1-0 victory. Coaches who know him well believe he has the tools to thrive in France.

Ex-Westerlo boss Issame Charaï views him as a complete midfielder, strong at regaining possession, able to drive forward and deliver the final pass, and says he has improved his repeated high-intensity running. He likens Piedfort’s profile to Strasbourg’s left-footer Samir El-Mourabet, noting that Piedfort is right-footed, and feels Still’s set-up suits his development.

Belgium Under-21 coach Gill Swerts notes Piedfort spent ages eight to 18 at PSV Eindhoven as a centre-back, before switching at Westerlo in 2023 to an energetic box-to-box role. He praises his quick understanding, emerging leadership and set-piece threat, and believes he could become key for AJA.

Team-mate Kévin Danois says midfield connections are growing and that Piedfort will be very important. Still describes a refreshing, quietly spoken character who lifts those around him once he crosses the white line.

Source: L'Équipe

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”