Compared to Neymar 

©TM/IMAGO

Ligue 1 has produced a conveyor belt of talent across the years and Monaco are arguably the leading French club for nurturing young players. Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram, David Trezeguet, Anthony Martial and Kylian Mbappé have all progressed through the youth ranks at the Stade Louis II and Eliesse Ben Seghir has the potential to become the next major star.

It’s fitting that Ben Seghir was born in the glittering town of San Tropez on the French Riviera given his eye-catching talent. The gifted attacker announced himself in sensational fashion with a brace from the bench on his Ligue 1 debut in December 2022 to inspire Monaco to a comeback win against Auxerre – the youngest player to score a double in the French top-flight for 75 years. Ben Seghir appeared destined for greatness but his career has stagnated across the last two seasons and he could depart the principality this summer after falling out with Adi Hütter.

Eliesse Ben Seghir: Monaco’s ‘little prince’

Ben Seghir’s older bother, Salim, is also a professional footballer in Switzerland after progressing through the ranks at Nice. But Eliesse joined Monaco’s academy at 2020 and he earned a fearsome reputation due to his incredible technical ability. Although he’s predominantly played as a left-winger, Ben Seghir is arguably best as an attacking midfielder with his dribbling ability and movement standing out. The Monaco starlet idolises Neymar and there all similarities in the freedom they both enjoy on the football pitch.

[Link Rubrik=”Monaco” Text=”Most valuable players” URL=”https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/as-monaco/kader/verein/162/saison_id/2024″

Monaco fans dubbed Ben Seghir ‘the little prince’ but he’s struggled for consistency recently as explained by Joachim Durand, Transfermarkt’s Ligue 1 expert. “Ben Seghir came to prominence during the second half of the 2022/2023 season, when he was just 18, under Philippe Clément,” Durand explained. “His talent on the ball is obvious, but he has struggled to establish himself over the long term for a number of reasons. There are injuries, positional changes (he started out as a centre-forward or attacking midfielder, and now plays more as a left-winger) and a lack of consistency.”

Eliesse Ben Seghir: Valuation and statistics

The 20-year-old has already amassed 80 career appearances for Monaco and he’s registered 15 goals and eight assists. Ben Seghir has started 30 of those games on the left-wing but only 16 in his preferred attacking midfield role. The French-born starlet made the surprised decision to declare for Morocco – the birth place of his parents – and he’s already a regular for the African nation and their fourth most valuable player.

As the graphic above illustrates, Ben Seghir is currently the joint-fourth most valuable U21 player in Ligue 1 at €30 million. While not playing regularly in 2025 due to his relationship with Monaco coach Hutter, Ben Seghir has still contributed nine goal contributions in Ligue 1, which ranks him in the top ten for U21 players. Notably, the Morocco international produced several standout displays in the Champions League, scoring against Benfica twice and impressing in a famous win over Barcelona to solidify his place on the radar of some of European football’s biggest clubs.

Eliesse Ben Seghir: Manchester City and Liverpool interested

Ben Seghir faces an uncertain future due to his aforementioned relationship with Hutter but he only has two years left on his contract and Monaco could move on their second most valuable asset, according to Transfermarkt’s famed market values. The French club could decide to cash in this summer and there’s significant interest from across Europe. L’Equipe has reported that Liverpool and Manchester City will battle for his signature this summer, while Bayern Munich are also known admirers. It’s been suggested that Monaco could even sanction a sale for around €35m but Durand is unsure whether he’s ready to play for a top European club.

“I’m not sure he’s really ready for a top-level club, unlike Maghnes Akliouche. He’s still not one of Monaco’s key players, so it seems premature to me. But on the other hand, a departure could do him good. He could play in a more central position, which suits his qualities better than on the wing. And he would be leaving an environment that clearly no longer suits him due to his complicated relationship with Hutter”.