Player Focus: Amavi the Latest Product of the French Full-Back Conveyor Belt

Consistency seems hard to come by in Ligue 1 at present, and one of the sides that are struggling to string any run of results together are Nice, perhaps now middling out after hugely contrasting domestic campaigns.

Les Aiglons were the surprise package of the 2012/13 season, finishing in fourth. However, they followed that success with a campaign in which they diced with death, finishing fourth from bottom and just two points above the relegation zone, in danger of the drop on the final day last time around. Nice’s fans feared the worst.

Sochaux had won six matches in an unbeaten streak of 8 at home prior to hosting Evian - who had won just three on the road all season - while Nice were hosting Lyon. A win for the former would see Cluade Puel's side relegated with defeat, but Sochaux collapsed to an unexpected 0-3 defeat.

It was a narrow escape for a side that had enjoyed a taste for success and their fall from grace would lead to the departure of a player most deemed to be their bright spark across the rollercoaster ride endured across the two seasons. Of all players to have featured at least 20 times in each, young left-back Timothée Kolodziejczak - signed from Lyon at the start of the 2012/13 campaign - was Nice's top rated player with a score of 7.06.

His sale to Sevilla this summer was unsurprisingly cause for concern for the fans but any worry that they felt has quickly dissipated. The reason is Jordan Amavi, recently voted as the club's player of the month for November having already scooped the September award. If the start he has made to this month is anything to go by you certainly wouldn't bet against a third before the winter break either.

Indeed, while Kolodziejczak is struggling to make his mark in La Liga - behind fellow French recruit Benoit Tremoulinas in the pecking order – the 23-year-old’s former understudy is flourishing in his absence. At just 20 years of age Amavi has quickly emerged as one of the hottest prospects in a league inundated with up-and-coming talent.

Modern day full-backs are often accused of renouncing their defensive commitments at times but that is certainly not a criticism that could be targeted at the French youth international. Only Caen midfielder N'Golo Kante - who, at 6.2 per game, is frankly churning out a ridiculous amount - has made more tackles in Ligue 1 this season. Amavi goes one better when it comes to interceptions, topping the French top-flight with a total of 78; a full 11 more than any other player.

The 20-year-old looks like your typical athletic full-back and certainly aims to break forward when the opportunity arises. However he isn't afraid to throw himself into a challenge and can even be perhaps a little over-enthusiastic in the tackle at times, averaging 1.7 fouls per game this season. He's comfortable in one-on-one situations at either end, with a tally of 35 successful dribbles again ranking among the best in the division, in eighth.

Perhaps the most intriguing feature to the way that Amavi plays is his variety in possession. When you think of players that are most comfortable using either foot the mind generally wonders to the creative midfielders of today. To find a full-back who is more than capable with both his left and right foot is far more rare and will likely open doors for the youngster in the future.

The option (often enforced) to switch a full-back to the opposite flank is not an uncommon one but many look uncomfortable, particularly when carrying the ball forward with their weaker foot. If a full-back can use either to a decent standard it enables them to cause more problems going forward as their opposite number doesn't know what to expect.

It's something that has helped Amavi to reach his aforementioned dribbles tally as he has the option of cutting inside, tending to play from a starting position hugging the touchline, or go on the outside of the opposition full-back. Here is a player able to beat an opponent with a right-footed dribble and deliver into the box with his left. The hardest players to defend against are often those that keep you guessing.

Given that there are not only three left-backs likely to be ahead of him in the pecking order on the international front but two, in Lucas Digne and Layvin Kurzawa, that are still very young themselves, the potential for Amavi to do a job on the right may well represent his best avenue into les Bleus’ senior set-up.

Didier Deschamps has demonstrated a willingness to offer the cream of the current youth crop a chance at the big time and Amavi is certainly one of those rising to the top right now. With just two WhoScored match ratings below a score of 7 and an average of 7.77 over the course of the season - second only to top scorer Alexandre Lacazette in Ligue 1 - the full-back is showing a consistency that is beyond his tender years and one that Nice as a team are failing to emulate.

While a mid-table finish would represent progress for a side that so nearly slipped into France's second-tier last season, there is a burgeoning feeling that Amavi is outgrowing his current employers. This is one Eaglet that seems set to soar, and it's likely that Jordan Amavi will land at more high-profile pastures before too long.

How impressed have you been with Jordan Amavi's progress this season? Let us know in the comments below