Exclusive | ‘It has exceeded my expectations’ – former Nantes and Wolves defender Bastien Meupiyou on his breakout season at Alverca | OneFootball

“I played in the Ile-de-France region when I was young. Every weekend, the matches were so intense and difficult. There are lots of players who are looking to make a career out of it, so the competition is so tough; everyone has to give the best of themselves to play their hand,” Bastien Meupiyou (20) tells Get French Football News in an exclusive interview.

Meupiyou tells us that he looks up to the likes of William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano, who both rose from the intense competition that exists in the hotbed that is the IDF to become France internationals. Having come through at FC Nantes before making a switch to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Meupiyou will hope to follow in their wake. In any case, his performances at Portuguese side Alverca have put him back on the right path. 

And his experiences, even at the tender age of 20, have already given him a solid footing. “The three leagues (Ligue 1, Premier League, and Liga Portugal) are quite different. They all have their specificities. I have learnt a lot in all three. The Premier League is very intense; in Ligue 1, there is the physical aspect. In Portugal, it is more based on the tactical and technical aspects. It has allowed me to work on that,” he says. 

‘I still managed to play alongside some top-level players’ – Meupiyou on his time at Wolves

The most important thing when coming to Alverca was earning more game time; it had been hard to come by at his formative club (natural, given his age) and Wolverhampton Wanderers. “It was important for me to find a project within which I could flourish,” he tells us. “Here in Portugal, I have had a lot of game time. I have gained experience (32 games in all competitions).“

That game time was not forthcoming at Wolves, with whom he only featured for the youth side in his only season, following a €5m move from Les Canaris. “But I still managed to play alongside some top-level players,” reflects the France youth international. “Nelson Semedo, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Mario Lemina, Pablo Sarabia… these are top players. They allowed me to develop in training.”

At Alverca, who welcomed Vinicius Jr. as a minority shareholder the previous season, and whose objective was to simply stave off an immediate return to the second division, Meupiyou integrated into what was a rapidly evolving project. 

Over the summer, there were 33 departures and 35 arrivals. “At the start, it was a bit surprising,” admitted Meupiyou. “Alverca is a new project. Our team was composed entirely of new players. We barely knew each other at all. We have had a good season. We have managed to stay up, even more than that. It has exceeded my expectations.”

The foundations of that success? “Solidarity. Everyone made the effort for each other on the pitch. Honestly, at the start, it wasn’t easy, but we never threw in the towel. We have always kept our heads up.” 

The project itself also inherently helps drive players to the next level. The club are implementing a trading model. To do so, the club are intensely scouting, often in person, in Brazil, France, and Portugal, some of the biggest hotbeds of talent in world football. Through the appointment of former RC Lens scout, Dominique Castro, there is a particular focus on the French market. Regardless of nationality, the age profile of players coming in at Alverca is conducive to a competitive environment. “It is the fact that we are all competitors who aspire to do big things,” says Meupiyou.

Several clubs make enquiries for Meupiyou

The Frenchman certainly falls into that category. His move to Alverca has been made permanent, and the GFFN understands that he is already the subject of enquiries from several clubs. At Alverca, there is optimism that the defender can garner a club-record fee this summer. 

“Like any player, I want to play in the best competitions and best leagues in the world,” Meupiyou admits. “I just want to keep progressing, to keep on this path, and one day, why not play in the best competitions and leagues?” 

Throughout our interview, Meupiyou shows great gratitude to his former clubs, Wolves and Nantes, empathising with their respective difficult seasons; both were relegated to their respective second divisions this season. “It makes me sad,” says the centre-back. In contrast, Meupiyou is a player on the up, and it is at Alverca that he has established himself as one of the hottest prospects, one who has got several European clubs scrambling to sign him up.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle