Even if you’re not the biggest Ligue 1 enthusiast, you might have heard the name Alban Lafont being thrown around on the internet somewhere, probably because of FIFA or Football Manager.
The 17-year-old goalkeeper, who also happens to be Toulouse’s starting goalkeeper, burst onto the scene midway through last season, and has become one of the biggest talents in his position on the transfer market.
Being French and good at what he does, comparisons have already been drawn, with Hugo Lloris and Crystal Palace’s Steve Mandanda the obvious models, but it’s the Selhurst Park regular that Lafont looks up to the most.
Speaking to France Football on Tuesday, the young goalkeeper revealed that Alan Pardew’s summer signing had always been his role model growing up, watching him during the France number two’s time at Marseille in Ligue 1.
He said: “It’s always been Steve Mandanda. I’ve always liked him. It was weird playing against him last season. I also like him as a person. He’s so serene and his leadership skills are great for the team.
“I admire him a lot. We’ve already met, because we have the same agent. We speak all the time. He encourages me. He’s specifically told me the most important thing was to last.”
Teams like Arsenal and Watford are said to have already made contact with the player and his agent about a possible future transfer, but it would appear that, for now, the player wants to stay in Ligue 1 and continue to develop in a team where he knows he will play regular football.
Like Mandanda, it might be a while before we see him in the Premier League, but it seems that moving away to another league is part of the long-term plan when speaking about Mickaël Landreau’s Ligue 1 record appearances (618): “It’s huge. He did all his career in France. Me, I don’t know…”
