Blaise Matuidi

Blaise Matuidi
Age: 23
Position: Central midfielder
Height: 1.75m / 5.74ft.
Weight: 70kg / 154lbs
Estimated market value: €7.5M-10M

After being linked with a transfer to Arsenal for some time, and more recently Liverpool , AS Saint Etienne midfielder Blaise Matuidi says he's finally ready for a move – and he's eying the Premier League as his next destination.

So who is this coveted Frenchman of Angolan descent?

Matuidi began his senior career at ES Troyes AC in 2004 after coming through the famed Clairfontaine academy and having a two-year stint at US Créteil-Lusitanos.

He cemented his place as a first team regular in his second season at Troyes  after the club had been promoted to the top flight.

Marked early in his career as a player with tremendous potential, Matuidi was linked with plenty of top French clubs when he decided to move on from Troyes in 2007 after the team had been relegated back down to Ligue 2.

But despite interest from Girondins Bordeaux , OSC Lille and AS Monaco , Matuidi chose to join Saint Etienne.

And now with nearly 200 games in Ligue 1 under his belt, the decision to move to the club without silverware since 1981 seems to have worked wonders for his development.

Despite not bring the tallest of players, he has progressed into a real midfield powerhouse at Saint Etienne and an invaluable player for the currently high-flying Ligue 1 outfit, who just avoided relegation in the last two seasons.

Matuidi has a great footballing brain, stunning awareness, huge determination and solid defensive ability.

Furthermore, his passing ability, both long and short, is superb.

His best position is in the centre with an emphasis on breaking up the play and starting attacks. But he is adventurous enough to play further forward or on the left of midfield, while contrastly he can also be used in a holding role just in front of the defence.

Although not particularly prolific in the goals department, with just six to his name in his senior career, he does boast a powerful shot from outside the box.

An important aspect of Matuidi's game which he has improved upon at Saint Etiene appears to be his composure and discipline. After picking up 11 bookings in one season at Troyes , he has only been given five cards at most in one season for AS Saint Etienne.

Matuidi played for all of France's youth sides, earning eight caps for the Under-18s, another eight for the Under 19s and 24 for the Under 21s

Inevitably Matuidi's impressive displays at both club and national youth level caught the attention of senior national team coach Laurent Blanc, and he won his first cap for France in September, coming on as a substitute against Bosnia Herzegovina.
 
With continued progress and tutelage at a top-level club, France, and perhaps the Premier League, could well have the new Claude Makelele on their hands.

A Matuidi stunner against Bordeaux in 2009