While France failed to defend their World Cup title by a whisker in Qatar, on paper, they still are the strongest team currently to win it in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It is because of the immense talent that they have at their disposal. Please make no mistake, even without Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Karim Benzema, and Lucas Hernandez, France almost won their World Cup title. And while some of the players will not play in the next edition, France have many options to choose from. One of them is Rennes’ left back, Adrien Truffert, who has truly burst onto the scene this season.
The 21-year-old, classified as a ‘wunderkind’ by data analytics site Soccerment, has been a mainstay in Rennes’ defence this season, helping them climb up to fourth in the Ligue 1 table. Due to performances like these, his name has started to be linked with top clubs.
So, who is Adrien Truffert, and how good is he?
How good is Adrien Truffert?
Adrien Truffert was born to French parents on November 20, 2001, in Liege, Belgium. He returned to France at a young age and started his footballing journey at ES Jouy St Prest, whose youth academy he joined in 2007. After spending three years at the club, he joined the now-defunct FC Chartres. It was here that he would begin to establish himself as one of the club’s best youth players.
After spending five years at the club, Rennes came calling, and Truffert wasted no time joining the team. Even at Rennes, the player distinguished himself among his peers. Truffert was part of both the under-17 and under-19 teams of Rennes that won the national championship.
This caught the attention of the club’s top hierarchy, which promoted him to Rennes B in 2018. He would spend the next two years there before he was promoted to the first team. His debut came on September 19, 2020, against AS Monaco. Coming on as a substitute, Truffert changed the entire complexion of the game by providing an assist and scoring an injury-time goal to help his team win the match 2-1.
Les stats (très) étonnantes d'Adrien #Truffert.
Encore une fois, à nuancer car peu de temps de jeu, mais je ne m'attendais pas à ça.
Dommage qu'il soit si limité en défense dans ses placements et la compréhension du jeu. #SRFC pic.twitter.com/tfhYV2mAX4— Maxentzio (@Maxentzio) January 6, 2022
Adrien Truffert stats
In his first season, Truffert played 29 matches, making 23 starts scoring one goal and providing three assists. This was an impressive debut season for the then-19-year-old. In the 2021-22 season, Truffert would play the same role as his minutes were restricted owing to his age. The youngster played an average of 55 minutes per game, scoring three goals and providing two assists.
However, it is the current season where Truffert has shown his real quality. With 14 starts to his name, he has already amassed four assists, his highest tally. And with more than half a season to go, the numbers are bound to go up. Only Jonathan Clauss and Caio Henrique have made more assists in Ligue 1 while playing in the full-back spot.
One of his significant weaknesses in the previous seasons was his lack of defensive awareness. However, in the last year, he has massively improved. According to fbref, he has made 1.79 blocks per 90 minutes, which puts him in the top two percentile of full-backs. Furthermore, he has also blocked 1.38 passes per 90 minutes, putting him in the top four percentile.
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Adrien Truffert scout report
Adrien Truffert has been described as a ‘wide creator’ by Soccerment, which tells us a lot about his playing style. Truffert is an attacking full-back who is equally active in both halves of the football field. While this may leave him exposed during the opposition’s counterattacks Rennes coach Bruno Genesio believes Truffert’s attacking style outweighs the gaps that he may leave from time to time.
Truffert also has a belter of a left foot that helps him put accurate crosses into the box. On top of that, he is an absolute workhorse running up and down the flank. These two skills, combined with his dribbling success rate of over 50 per cent, make him an absolute menace on the left flank.
However, despite that, there still are deficiencies in his game. One of those is his low success rate when it comes to duels. His 173 cm height, combined with his not-so-strong physical stature, is a primary reason he comes up second in most of his duels. However, that can be eliminated by bolstering his muscles, which the fitness staff at Rennes will be aware of.
Adrien Truffert transfer news
According to various rumours, Real Sociedad, Inter Milan and Aston Villa have expressed their interest in the player. However, it is highly unlikely that Rennes will let a player of his satire go unless for a very high amount. Furthermore, the club had extended his contract till 2025, which puts them in a strong position while negotiating for his sale. Speaking of strong positions, gambling on a player like Adrien Truffert is much more easier than new online casinos in the UK.
Aston Villa are now looking for a left-back and Unai Emery wants Álex Moreno of Real Betis who could cost €15m. If they don’t get him, Villa will turn to Adrien Truffert from Rennes ✍️
🗞️ – [@MatteMoretto] #avfc pic.twitter.com/SzlnSOr3z2
— Total Villa (@Total_Villa) December 27, 2022
He will be a valuable addition to any club and, on paper, is the best deputy for Theo Hernandez in the French national football team. So, unless something drastically changes, it is hard to imagine he will change clubs before the summer of 2024 and that too for a hefty transfer fee.
*This article is sponsored by Khelo India, a flagship program to inculcate a sporting culture in the country.