Zaïre-Emery at right-back for France, ex-international backs him | OneFootball

At Paris Saint-Germain, Warren Zaïre-Emery (19 years old), a midfielder capable of filling in on the right, is fueling an idea: projecting him as a right-back with the French national team ahead of the World Cup. In L’Équipe, François Clerc believes that it will mostly depend on one thing: the Parisian’s desire... and the timing of the Bleus.

Clerc: “He is smart enough to adapt long-term”

The value of François Clerc’s comments is that they address the issue in the right place: not in tactical fantasy, but in the evolution of a player. Zaïre-Emery has the stamina, intelligence, and discipline to learn a position that requires as much reading of the game as physical ability, especially at the highest level.

And at 19, the prospect of a World Cup can make the idea genuinely appealing: opening up another pathway, even if he remains behind an established starter like Jules Koundé for now. There’s also another very real factor: Didier Deschamps. His approach is above all pragmatic, and “experiments” rarely get the red carpet with the Bleus. Between mid-February and the May squad announcement, the coach will be looking for guarantees, not promises.

This debate also has another merit: it reminds us that the hierarchy in the national team can change quickly. A strong spring, visible progress in defensive routines, and what looks like an option today could become a credible solution tomorrow.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.