Analysis: Why Maghnes Akliouche is one of the window’s most coveted targets
July 21, 2026
With the news breaking that Maghnes Akliouche has reportedly agreed personal terms with Paris Saint‑Germain, it appears destined he'll be the latest ace to depart AS Monaco to continue his career.
Having established himself as one of the most exciting attacking midfielders in Europe over the last few seasons, the 24‑year‑old wizard feels ready for the step up in class.
Coming on leaps and bounds since making his ASM debut in November 2021, he's steadily gone about elevating his craft under the likes of Philippe Clement, Adi Hutter and recently Sebastien Pocognoli.
The scorer of 23 goals and supplier of 28 assists in his 139 Monaco appearances, which has included many superb displays in Europe and vs PSG, it's not hard to understand why Luis Enrique is keen on bolstering his squad with a player such as Akliouche. Upon considering Lee Kang‑in and Bradley Barcola are supposedly set to be on the way out, it makes even more sense.
Armed with some impressive experience these days, the man who won silver at the 2024 Olympics and earned his first full France call‑up in August of 2025 should have little worry adjusting to life in Paris, even if obtaining minutes may be a concern given the tremendous talent he'll be competing with for action.
Now former ASM manager Pocognoli provided a fascinating insight into his development when speaking to the Monaco website, explaining: “It doesn't surprise me because I know very well why he can perform so well and why he's also gone through some tougher times. He’s a creative player who needs attention and confidence. During difficult periods, these players can sometimes feel drained.
“Our role, along with the staff, is to give him that space to express himself while still being demanding of him every day. For the club, seeing an AS Monaco player establish himself as a regular in the national team would be a great source of pride.”
A serious creative force to be reckoned with, he’s adept at unlocking backlines with intricate combination play, including sweet flicks, lay-offs and backheels, plus wicked line‑breaking passes, lobbed through balls and measured crosses and cutbacks. So attentive to the position and movement of teammates, this, in alliance with his vision and reading of the play, helps him execute brilliantly more often than not.
His wand of a left foot also holds him in good stead when applying his finishes, for he cleanly wraps his boot around the ball to place his efforts nicely. Moreover, his smart movement and instincts in the area help elevate his threat, for he’s great at avoiding detection to pop up unattended.
While not an overly powerful finisher or ball striker, how he finds the corners by expertly opening up his body, hitting classy first‑time strikes and remaining composed and calm under duress amplifies his success.
His dribbling is a massive asset too, for he's such a tough proposition to contain courtesy of his crafty changes of pace and direction, whirring feints, slick shimmies and incisive cuts infield, ensuring he gains separation and outfoxes foes.
Unpredictable, tricky and loving being in 1v1 scenarios, his razor-sharp control and first touch then add to his carrying nuisance. So balanced and boasting underrated strength and a low centre of gravity, he can adapt his receiving posture to protect possession, weave away from trouble and knows which way to take his initial touch.
Even though he’s not the fastest, his intelligence and speed of thought more than make up for this.
His nifty movement is another crucial weapon in his armoury. Typically afforded licence to drift inside and occupy dangerous central pockets from his usual berth on the right at the Principality outfit, he's a constant irritant for defenders. He links beautifully with the strikers, engineers overloads in key zones and is astute at performing neat rotations that stress the opposition.
The versatility is vital as well. Although he’s primarily stationed wide, he varies his reference points, for he sometimes stays glued to the flank to isolate defenders, drops into midfield to connect passages, slides to the No 10 station and half‑spaces to stitch sequences together and darts in behind with clever, disguised runs. In effect, he operates as a hybrid, as he essentially blends creating between the lines and being a winger that stretches the pitch.
Having worked under Clement, Hutter and Pocognoli, Akliouche is well‑versed in high‑pressing systems and the mechanics that underpin them. An ever‑willing worker without the ball, he harasses, harries and imposes himself physically on opponents. He reacts sharply to triggers, angles his pressure to shut off routes back centrally and consistently funnels adversaries into traps too, which are the sorts of details that make his defensive impact impossible to ignore.
His backwards pressing is especially valuable, for his determination means he often catches opponents unaware, nipping in from behind to steal possession. Arriving from the blindside and outside their field of view, he repeatedly creates turnovers in ideal areas, which is also the case for his counter‑pressing once his team loses the ball.
At 24, entering his prime and still with plenty of room for refinement, there’s no doubting he's got the tools needed to thrive at the mighty PSG. And playing alongside world‑class colleagues in Enrique's sophisticated and structured framework could unlock a different level.
If PSG can get the deal over the line for Akliouche, they'll be getting a player who can immediately contribute while possessing the capacity to become a genuine star.
Ultra‑gifted and trending upward, Akliouche looks every inch a player built for the elite. Whether his next chapter unfolds at PSG or with a heavyweight elsewhere, the destination is yet to be decided. But the trajectory isn’t. His ceiling is enormous, and everything about his game suggests he’s heading for the very top.
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