Who is Maghnes Akliouche? Monaco ace who can be Tottenham's Eberechi Eze transfer alternative

The clock is ticking for Tottenham to try and find an Eberechi Eze alternative in the transfer market. Tottenham had looked on course to sign the 27-year-old from Crystal Palace before Arsenal made a late play for the highly-rated ace.

Eze is now set to become a Gunners player in a deal worth £67.5million. Losing out to their north London rivals is a major blow to Tottenham and it follows on from the failure to conclude a deal for Morgan Gibbs-White despite activating the release clause in his Nottingham Forest contract.

Spurs now face a late scramble in the transfer market to find a new centre-back, left winger and No.10. This summer's transfer window closes for business at 7pm on Monday, September 1.

READ MORE: Thomas Frank fires emphatic Eberechi Eze Tottenham transfer message after Arsenal hijack

READ MORE: Thomas Frank press conference - Tottenham boss on Eberechi Eze, transfers and Man City

One player who has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium recently is exciting Monaco talent Maghnes Akliouche. So who exactly is the attacking midfielder?

Born in Tremblay-en-France in February 2002, the youngster spent time with Villemomble and Torcy in his youth career before linking up with Monaco in 2017. Firstly getting experience in the club's B team, Akliouche graduated to the first team during the 2021/22 campaign and made his debut as a substitute during a 2-0 loss at Lyon.

The attacking ace, who has mainly operated from the right wing in his career, would only play in a further six games that season but he did make two appearances for Monaco in the Coupe De France, with one of those a start in a 2-0 win over Amiens as he registered an assist while playing from the left wing.

His game time increased slightly the following campaign but it was not until 2023/24 when he became a regular for the Ligue 1 side. Akliouche registered eight goals and four assists in his breakthrough season, mainly splitting his playing time on the right wing and as an attacking midfielder.

The 23-year-old continued to have an impact for Monaco last season as he started 36 times on the right, duly contributing seven goals and 12 assists. The player also picked up some vital Champions League experience as he started all ten of Monaco's games in the competition, notably scoring in wins over Barcelona and Red Star Belgrade.

Akliouche also has experience on the international stage after playing for France U21s and Thierry Henry's international team during the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The opportunity to work with the Premier League legend was certainly beneficial to the player.

"Both on and off the pitch, he gives me a lot of advice," he told TNT Sports. "Thanks to his experience as a player and coach, his words are gold.

"You have to pay attention to them. When he says something to you, you pay attention because he never says just anything. He's also aware that young players need more attention and advice, so he helps us a lot. It's important to have that help."

The player himself has come in for plenty of praise due to his performances for Monaco. It perhaps is no surprise given what he can produce on the football pitch.

A technical player who can operate centrally or on the wing, Akliouche is a good dribbler of the ball with excellent passing ability. His eye for a pass can be seen from the 17 assists he has so far contributed for Monaco, with his tally of 17 goals also highlighting that he can regularly get his name on the scoresheet.

His ability to carry the ball forward and his touch are also big strengths, as is the hard work he puts in off the ball to help his team. Last November, Monaco boss Adi Hutter dished out the praise to the left-footed star and described him as an "international-level player".

“He has made a huge progression. For me, he is an international-level player,” he said, as reported by Get French Football News.

“He can be happy that he is an example [of our academy], the same as Eliesse [Ben Seghir], who came from the Groupe Elite and is now with the pros. When I arrived last season, I saw he was a talent but when you are upfront or a No.10, you have to bring stats, and set up or score goals. He brings us lots of stats. With two goals, he was for sure the key player tonight."

Former Liverpool player Takumi Minamino, who is now a teammate of Akliouche at Monaco, noted him as the "best young player in the team" when he first arrived at the club and he added that he has "huge potential".

A move away from Monaco does appear to be on the cards at some point in the future given his rise over the past few seasons. Whether that is at Tottenham or somewhere else will become clear in weeks and months ahead.