PARIS (AP) — France will have rich depth in attack at the World Cup.
About a billion dollars’ worth.
That’s the estimated total value of the attacking players France is expected to bring to the tournament, from two-time World Cup final scoring sensation Kylian Mbappé to rising star Désiré Doué.
For coach Didier Deschamps the headache is not about who to choose, but who to leave out of his starting lineup for France’s World Cup opener against Senegal on June 16.
He has a huge amount of talent to complement the prolific scoring of Mbappé, who is enjoying another prolific season with Real Madrid and needs one more goal to tie Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time leading scorer with 57 goals.
There’s the speed and finishing of Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé; the clinical scoring and exquisite passing of Michael Olise; the maverick skill of the technically gifted Rayan Cherki; or the fleet-footed runs of fellow newcomer Maghnes Akliouche.
According to estimates from soccer website transfermarkt and the CIES Football Observatory, which take into account the remaining time on a players’ contract, France’s 10 attacking players are worth 855 million euros, which is a fraction over $1 billion.
Here’s a look at the top players.
Mbappé tops the list
Unsurprisingly, the 27-year-old Real Madrid superstar leads the way at 200 million euros ($236 million).
Mbappé is followed by the Bayern Munich star Olise at 140 million euros. The London-born Olise’s form has been scintillating for Bundesliga champion Bayern with 18 goals and 25 assists in 44 games.
The 20-year-old Doué has three years left on his PSG contract and is valued at around 115 million compared to 100 million euros for Dembélé, who has two years left to run at PSG and is eight years older.
Their goal-scoring PSG teammate Bradley Barcola — who starred against Chelsea in the Champions League — comes in next at 70 million euros, followed by Cherki at 65 million.
Cherki’s value could rise
Cherki first caught the eye six years ago when he was 16, scoring twice in a French Cup game for Lyon. He has entered a new dimension since joining Manchester City in the offseason for what is now looking like a bargain fee of 36 million euros. He scored a fine solo goal against Arsenal in their Premier League table-topping clash on Sunday.
His ability to create goals with his intuitive passing have surprised even City coach Pep Guardiola — who worked alongside two of the world’s finest passers in Lionel Messi and Iniesta at Barcelona — and Cherki’s value could rocket if he does well at the World Cup.
Akliouche scored in both legs for Monaco against PSG in a closely-contested Champions League playoff and his galloping runs from deep make him hard to track. He is also capable of brilliant individual goals, scoring a superb overhead kick for Monaco last season.
He is valued at 50 million euros along with Inter Milan forward Marcus Thuram, who has hit form in recent weeks as Inter closes in on the Serie A title.
Thuram adds to France’s attacking options thanks to his heading ability, a strong point shared by Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The imposing striker is a consistent scorer for Premier League side Crystal Palace and has netted two goals in three appearances for Les Bleus.
Mateta is expected to join a bigger club next season and is valued at 35 million euros, ahead of former PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani. He is on loan at Tottenham and, although he has lost form, he would likely fetch 30 million if PSG sold him.
Kolo Muani almost wrote his name into World Cup history in 2022, but missed a chance right at the end of extra time in the final, which France lost on penalties to Argentina despite a hat-trick from Mbappé. ___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
