Who is Maghnes Akliouche, Monaco's newest Bleu?

When Adi Hutter arrived at Monaco two years ago, Maghnes Akliouche wasn't even a guaranteed starter; he hadn't even scored his first goal in Ligue 1 McDonald's. "When I arrived, I wanted to make him a starting player, to take him from a youth player to a performance player," said Hutter this week, a day after Akliouche's first call-up to the France national team.

Hutter's arrival at the Principality club is not anecdotic in Akliouche's rise in recent years. Akliouche himself acknowledges that. "If I got called up, it is because behind me, there was hard work from the staff and the manager, and it is because of them that I could get called up [...] I always worked hard, even when I wasn't playing, but the arrival of the manager helped me. My game improved with him," says the Monaco forward.

Prior to Hutter's arrival, Akliouche had struggled to establish himself under predecessor Philippe Clement. A couple of brief and promising cameos, notably in the Coupe de France, did not prove to be a springboard. Patience was necessary. "I never gave up, and always worked hard, even when I wasn't playing or it wasn't going well," said Akliouche.

Akliouche didn't start in Hutter's first Ligue 1 McDonald's game in charge, but he did come off the bench and went on to score his first league goal for his formative club, against Clermont Foot in a 4-2 win. He hasn't looked back.

Just over one year later, on his Champions League debut, he netted the opener in a 2-1 win over Barcelona - a sign of how far the Frenchman had come and in so little time. Last season, in all competitions, he netted seven goals and registered 12 assists, however, until now, it had not been enough to earn him a spot in Didier Deschamps' squad.

A regular for France's U21s and a Silver Medalist in the Paris Olympics in 2024, as he did at club level, he was made to wait for his first call-up. "There is a lot of talent in the national team and in this country. You have to be patient, and luckily, the day came for me," said Akliouche, speaking a day after receiving the call.

"It was a great surprise for me. It was an important and beautiful moment," said Akliouche, who was also eligible to represent Algeria at international level. It comes after an exceptional start to the Ligue 1 McDonald's campaign for the youngster.

AKLIOUCHE TO CELEBRATE HIS FIRST CALL-UP WITH FRANCE! 🇫🇷⭐️ pic.twitter.com/fSjN62ISuA
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) August 31, 2025

Having netted in Monaco's opener, a 3-1 win over Le Havre, he netted the opener against Strasbourg at the weekend, and made the assist for Takumi Minamino's injury-time winner.

"He now has a target on his back. You can imagine that it can do a lot to his head, but I am really happy that he can bring that performance," said Hutter. The change in stature has not contained opponents' ability to handle him, and the call-up will not change the player or person he is either. "I will stay how I am. The most important thing for me will be to give even more on the pitch, to help even more than last season," said Akliouche.

A timid character off the pitch, he does his talking on it, for Monaco, and soon for France, too.

>> Akliouche earns first France call-up

A lot of talent in the national team, in this coutnry. You have to be patient. Luckily, the day came for me.