Djaoui Cisse: Quality will always shine through
For the third year in a row, Rennes were voted as having the best academy in France - beating the likes of PSG, Monaco and the infamous Le Havre to the prestigious title. And when you look at the players that Rennes have produced in recent years, it’s not really a surprise the academy is rated so highly. Camavinga, Doue, Tel, Ugochukwu, Boey and most notably Ousmane Dembele all graduated from Let Rouge et Noir’s youth set up in the last decade or so, with the club seemingly churning out a world class prospect almost every season at this point.
Well, the newest starboy is now here and I’d imagine in the next 12 months or so, football fans will be hearing his name a lot more. Djaoui Cisse is a French under-21 international central midfielder who was playing 5th division football at the beginning of the season and yet is now one of Rennes most important players. He’s only got 16 senior appearances to his name, but it’s been enough to dazzle fans who have been quick to compare him to the likes of Paul Pogba and Yaya Toure. Whilst this might be a touch premature, I can see where these shouts have sprung from…
Cisse is the complete box-to-box midfielder. At 6ft 2, the Frenchman carries a good frame on him which allows him to cover large distances with his long gangly legs. This is useful for not only being a great ball carrier, which he is, but also on the defensive side. Cisse flourishes with and without the ball - he’s able to track back well and stop counter-attacks with smartly timed tackles, but also shows great awareness to be in the right place at the right time and intercept passes and shots that may pose a threat. The 21 year old ranks in the top 1% of midfielders across Europe for blocks and passes blocked per 90 whilst also ranking in the top 10% for percentage of dribblers tackled.
Away from his ball-carrying, Djaoui Cisse has shown that there’s little he can’t do with the ball at his feet. Technically secure, he’s also an extremely able dribbler - completing over a dribble a game which is no mean feat for a midfielder. He uses his frame well to shield the ball from opponents and can also jink past players as if they’re not there with sharp body feints and quick feet. As a passer, Cisse also stands out. He releases the ball quickly and only takes as many touches as he needs to and is not afraid to try riskier passes through the lines or switch the play quickly with a long, diagonal ball.
At the recent u21 euros, Cisse left a lasting impression on spectators as he scored 3 goals in 4 games from midfield - showcasing the more attacking side of his game. He can half hit a ball, and would often find himself gliding through midfield to then launch one from 20-25 yards that the keeper was often tested by.
Putting my NBA hat on for a second, the boy is showing all the potential to be elite on both sides of the ball. He looks like he’s got everything a midfielder needs in order to make it to the very top of the game and he’s at no better club to ensure that this happens.
The multitude of skills he has, makes him very tactically diverse as I think he can be used as a defensive midfielder, box to box player or even an 8 with more license to attack. He’s the modern-day coach's dream profile and if he continues on this trajectory - I’d expect the European big dogs to come knocking very soon.
But as I said earlier, he’s still relatively inexperienced and still has moments in games where this can be seen, but I have no doubts this will eventually wither away with the more minutes he gets under his belt. Fingers crossed he stays healthy because I think the French midfielder could really become something special in a few years.
