The 23-year-old enjoyed a stellar campaign in 2024-25, and is now primed to join one of Europe's elite clubs in the near future
Monaco has been home to many famous artists over the years, from Francis Bacon to Fernando Botero to Kees Verkade. Nowadays, though, the creators of works of art in Monaco are not only sculptors and painters, but also the footballers who play at Stade Louis II.
One of the newest 'artists' in the principality is Maghnes Akliouche, who was one of the breakout stars of the 2024-25 Ligue 1 campaign. The winger scored seven goals and provided 12 assists in 43 games across all competitions, leading to interest in his services from around Europe. However, the 23-year-old has had to wait a little longer than some others to get his big break.
As part of our ongoing series on Hidden Gems in club football, GOAL has everything you need to know about Monaco's wing wizard who could yet be the subject of a big-money move this summer.
Where it all began
Akliouche was born in February 2002 into an Algerian family in Tremblay-en-France. At the age of six, his parents enrolled him at local side Villemomble Sports, and later he moved to US Torcy. At Torcy, the talent of the then-15-year-old attacker began to become well-known, and after being scouted by Monaco, he moved to the principality for the following season.
After a year in the Under-19s, the coaches at Monaco saw that Akliouche was a quick learner and could handle a higher level. Thus, in the 2020/21 season, the winger was promoted to Monaco's second team, who play in France's third division, National 2. Akliouche made a good impression on his coaches and team-mates, and after a number of good performances for the B team, he was given the opportunity to prove himself among the senior ranks.
He made his first-team debut in October 2021 against Lyon, replacing Gelson Martins in injury time, for the first of seven appearances off the bench that season.
AdvertisementThe big break
Akliouche continued to make cameo appearances for Les Monegasques through the 2022/23 campaign, though he ended that season still waiting for his maiden goal with the first team.
"I was a small and skinny boy who often got pushed around. It wasn't easy, but sometimes you shouldn't think too much and just work hard. In the end, it will pay off," Akliouche said about this period during a conversation with youth players at Monaco.
He eventually broke his duck with eight goals in all competitions during the 2023-24 season, while he also provided four assists, earning himself a regular starting role in the process as Monaco secured a return to the Champions League. He has since taken his game to a whole new level over the past 12 months to emerge as one of the most exciting young wingers in Europe.
Strengths & weaknesses
Akliouche is a real playmaker who can operate both as a winger and as an attacking midfielder. He is a stylish player with good dribbling skills, who thinks of his team-mates first before going for goal himself. All this is accompanied by a strong understanding of the game, excellent passing and a lot of hard work without the ball. The latter in particular distinguishes him from many wingers.
He is also strong in combination play. This was evident in the match against Brest in November, where Akliouche scored a goal after good teamwork with fellow academy graduate Eliesse Ben Seghir. The attacking duo have earned comparisons from Monaco supporters to the last pair of homegrown forwards to impress in the first team, Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet, though both still have a long way to go to reach the level of those legends.
Akliouche models his own game on a number of 21st century idols, and tries to adopt various aspects of their play, telling : "I watched a lot of footage of [Zinedine] Zidane, [Andres] Iniesta and [Mesut] Ozil. Taking on an opponent gives me a huge sense of satisfaction, so I like to do that, and I also like to set up my team-mates by providing assists."
For a winger in the modern game, seven goals in a season is nothing to write home about, and thus Akliouche needs to improve his efficiency around the penalty area. That said, as he illustrated with a remarkable overhead-kick strike against Rennes in January, he can produce remarkable things when presented with opportunities to score:
What comes next?
Magical moments like that goal against Rennes are the reason why more and more scouts from top clubs have visited the principality to watch the Akliouche in action, though Monaco general manager Thiago Scuro told that, "it's logical that clubs are interested in him, but he is now a Monaco player and it won't be easy to get him out of here".
Money generally talks in football, however, and some of Europe's richest clubs are beginning to form a queue to sign Akliouche. Arsenal Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked over the past six months, while Real Madrid have also reportedly shown an interest in the winger after Xabi Alonso previously monitored his progress while in charge of Bayer Leverkusen.
Akliouche is under contract at Monaco until 2028 and has no buy-out clause in his deal, as this is prohibited in France. He is valued at a minimum of €70 million (£60.4m/$82m), though it remains to be seen whether of those interested parties are willing to meet such a price tag.
Regardless, if Akliouche can combine his technical ingenuity with a greater efficiency, he will undoubtedly have a magnificent future ahead of him. He is a player who is on the right path to the very top of the game.