GFFN Guide | Who will be the breakout stars in Ligue 1 this season? | OneFootball

This article is an extract from the 2025/26 74-page GFFN Guide, which you can download HERE.

On the dawn of a new Ligue 1 season, Get French Football News pick out five prospects who could burst onto the scene.

Louis Leroux – FC Nantes

Brittany’s academies are renowned for their development of talent. Rennes have recentlybrought through the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Ousmane Dembélé, Mathys Tel, and DésiréDoué. Nantes too have their fair share of success stories, with the likes of Marcel Desailly, DidierDeschamps, and Claude Makélélé graduating from their system.

Louis Leroux is the latest in a long line of academy players to be given a shot in the first team.The midfielder has already begun to break through, making eight league starts last season,whilst netting two goals and one assist. Under Luís Castro, he will be expected to continue hisdevelopment, should he remain with his formative club.

The Frenchman has attracted interest from AS Monaco, who certainly have an eye for a talentedprospect. Leroux, who often operates in deeper areas of the midfield, has already shown hisenhanced game intelligence and eye for a pass. For an 18-year-old, he already possesses greatvision, which stands him in good stead. His end-product can be worked once, but such aweakness is natural at this point in a midfielder’s career. But Leroux feels something like a cleanslate – he is versatile and adept in so many different areas that he can be moulded and madeto fit in any midfield position. In short, he is a manager’s dream, and so he will almost certainlyfeature more prominently this season.

By Luke Entwistle

Enzo Molebe – Olympique Lyonnais

Enzo Molebe has been afforded a unique opportunity at Lyon ahead of the new Ligue 1 season.With Alexandre Lacazette leaving the club and Georges Mikautadze the only senior strikeravailable to Paulo Fonseca, the 17-year-old has found himself promoted to the first team. Whilstsome may argue that he will only be offered the opportunity given the club’s adverse situation,those internally will instead point to the France youth international’s impressive trajectory in theyouth ranks.

Previously courted by Chelsea, Molebe is an instinctive finisher. Prolific across youth levels, theFrenchman became the youngest player to score a brace for Les Gones in 2024, albeit in afriendly. Internationally, the OL striker has scored nine goals in 10 appearances for France U16sand was crucial in the U17 Euros with key goals against Portugal and Spain.

Although not the tallest, the striker has a physical edge to his game and is comfortable leadingthe press from the front. However, the forward has had to endure his troubles. Molebe previouslysuffered a serious knee injury, which stunted his development, but he responded in the bestpossible way by scoring in his comeback match. This mental robustness will stand him well afterhis first full preseason in the books, ahead of the new Ligue 1 season, where increasedopportunities look likely.

By Liam WraithKyllian Antonio – RC Lens

Professional debuts usually come in the dying minutes of low-stakes occasions, but KyllianAntonio was thrown in at the deep end. The 17-year-old was picked to start for RC Lens duringtheir trip to face Lille OSC in the Derby du Nord.

Injuries to Juma Bah and Jonathan Gradit had opened the door for the centre-back, and as hetook his first tentative steps into the professional game, it looked as if it had all come far toosoon for the France youth international. Errors and miscommunication were the highlights of hisfirst half as Lens slipped 1-0 behind.

It looked as if the kind thing to do was to hook him at half-time, but instead, his manager Will Stillstuck by the decision and a very different player was allowed to emerge. Antonio didn’t putanother foot wrong and showed immense maturity to right himself and put in a composedperformance. Antonio only made two more appearances for Lens as the club saw out their injurycrisis, but a lasting impression was left.

There is a feeling around this Lens team that there are big opportunities for players braveenough to grab them. Antonio could be one of them.

By Nick Hartland

Ibrahim Mbaye – Paris Saint-Germain

PSG have changed course in recent years as they have steered away from their “bling-bling”strategy. Not only are Les Parisiens, under Luís Campos, being more intelligent in the transferwindow and heeding due attention to the talented domestic pool, but they are also providing apathway for their own academy products. Warren Zaïre-Emery was the first to make the jump,whilst Senny Mayulu, who netted in the Champions League final, has followed in his wake.Both have carved out a space for themselves in this team, and their recruitment has beenspecifically tailored to prevent their progress from being stunted. Ibrahim Mbaye is the nextplayer expected to establish himself.

Last season (including the FIFA Club World Cup), Mbaye made 12 appearances for his formativeclub, netting one goal. His breakthrough was rewarded with a first professional contract towardsthe end of the season. He is PSG’s third-youngest ever goalscorer and will look to stake a claimfor further minutes. A right-winger, he faces considerable competition to get into the team,however, with a focus on the Champions League once again, he should at least feature in theleague and in domestic cup competitions. Luis Enrique likes direct wingers who like to truly utilisetheir technical ability to take on a man. Mbaye certainly falls into that category.

By Luke Entwistle

Jaydee Canvot – Toulouse FC

It only takes a couple of glances to understand why Aston Villa are prepared to pay the bigbucks for Jaydee Canvot. The Frenchman played his first professional minutes for Toulouse lastseason, accumulating just over 1000 minutes of playing time. However, at the age of 19, and withmeagre experience in the professional world, he displays the game-reading and nous of aveteran defender. His ability to spot danger and then to know exactly how to extinguish italready distinguishes him from many of his peers.

At a time when pace and power are prioritised in player development – especially when itcomes to centre-backs – he has something more. He does have those capabilities too, as wellas the ability to win his aerial duels, despite his lack of height, but it is his mental attributes thatmake him a player so coveted.

Beyond his defensive capabilities, beyond his years, Canvot, as modern defenders must be, isconfident with the ball at his feet. Be it spreading the play with a cross-field ball or carrying itthrough a dribble, he has all the makings of a potentially elite centre-back. The big clubs canalready see that, however, this upcoming season could be the one in which he truly announceshimself to a more global audience.

By Luke Entwistle

GFFN