This is taken from the GFFN 100, our leading 150-page FREE publication ranking the best 100 players in France, see the full list and read every profile right here.

This season, Strasbourg are looking for attack-minded midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde to step up and become the player he promised to be when he joined the club back in 2019.

Bellegarde started his career at RC Lens, featuring in 33 games over three seasons for the northern side whilst they were in Ligue 2. He arrived as a 20-year-old member of the French under 21s but, somehow, be it lack of game time or ex-manager Thierry Laurey’s tactics not quite fitting his style of play, he has never managed to become the superstar that Racing fans once thought he might be.

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Last season, with more time on the pitch than in previous seasons, Bellegarde began to show us glimpses of real quality. Over the last year, he’s managed 1.85 dribbles completed per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 3% of Europe’s midfielders. Last season in Ligue 1, Bellegarde provided two goals and three assists from 26 starts. This year, he has already managed one goal and three assists, starting all 15 games for Strasbourg, who look a far worse side than last season on the whole.

Bellegarde, a silky dribbler who measures 5’8, generally plays in the left centre-midfield role in Julien Stéphan’s 5-3-2 formation, alongside a more defensive midfielder such as Sanjin Prcić, and another roaming player on the right, such as Adrien Thomasson or Ibrahima Sissoko. He acts as one of Strasbourg’s key outlets when it comes to advancing into the attacking third of play.

It was reported by Foot Mercato that Crystal Palace were monitoring Bellegarde’s situation last summer. However, no formal approach was made, and Palace opted to bid for other targets. With a year and a half left on his current deal at La Meinau, Strasbourg will be keen to tie the 24-year-old down to a long-term deal sooner rather than later or risk losing him for a cut price fee in the summer of 2023.

James Evans | GFFN