Godts, Witsel, Coulibaly among five to watch as they debut in Ligue 1 | OneFootball

Ligue 1 will welcome a wave of first-timers in 2026/27. According to Le Progres, five to watch are Godts, Witsel, Coulibaly, Selvik and Mayenda.

PSG signed Mika Godts to cover for Bradley Barcola’s possible exit. The 21-year-old Belgium international cost €45 million from Ajax Amsterdam and is a sharp dribbler. In April he went viral by scoring from halfway against Breda in a 2-0 win.

Karim Coulibaly is Strasbourg’s record buy at €20 million from Werder Bremen. The 19-year-old, 1.91m tall, signs a five-year deal after just one senior season and 27 Bundesliga games.

Nice have taken Axel Witsel on a free after a season with Girona, handing the Belgian his first Ligue 1 campaign at 37. He said he would like to finish at Nice without setting an age limit. The 140-cap international can play in midfield or defence.

Norwegian keeper Egil Selvik joins Brest on loan from Watford, having played in the Championship. He said the move offers Ligue 1 exposure and a steadier environment than Watford. At the last World Cup he made saves despite Norway’s 4-1 group-stage defeat to France.

Eliezer Mayenda will play Ligue 1 for the first time with Rennes. The club paid €22 million for the 21-year-old Spain international from Sunderland after he helped their promotion then had a more mixed Premier League season. Wearing No 12, he can lead the line or play wide alongside Esteban Lepaul.

Source: Le Progres

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