Tel, Rutter, Ugochukwu: who could be Rennes’ next graduates for Les Bleus? | OneFootball

Rennes’ academy continues to feed Les Bleus, and the question now is whether Mathys Tel, Georginio Rutter and Lesley Ugochukwu could be the next senior call-ups.

According to L'Équipe, seven Rennes developed players have already been called up by France coach Zinédine Zidane, namely Dembélé, Camavinga, Doué, Truffert, Jacquet, Diouf and Da Cunha. It might have been eight had Kylian Mbappé chosen Rennes over Monaco after early trials in red and black.

Two are with the Espoirs, Ugochukwu and Tel. Others from the academy are in France’s youth set up, with Junior Ake at U20, Ruben Lomet and Mohamed Chebbi at U19, and Firmin Thétiot and Thâo Mouapa Mwa Meuraillo at U18.

For any senior chance, club breakthroughs come first. Ugochukwu at Galatasaray after Chelsea, Southampton and Burnley, and Tel at Tottenham after Bayern Munich, both need to establish themselves, as do Matthis Abline at Monaco, midfielder Djaoui Cissé at Rennes, and right back Lorenz Assignon at Stuttgart.

Right back Sacha Boey also looked on course when he joined Bayern, but matters have become complicated. Rutter could, perhaps, stay on the radar if he keeps his Brighton momentum. Kader Meïté, 18, has gone to Al-Hilal and was not picked for the Espoirs, so his path in Saudi Arabia or Europe remains open.

Below that, Rennes’ 2009 cohort is already flagged beyond France. Centre back Joseph Peter, brother of Angers’ Prosper, and fellow defender Thétiot are noted, while forward Mouhammad Valmy has stepped up with Algeria’s U20s and remains of interest to France.

Source: L'Équipe

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