AS Monaco are reportedly closing in on their first signing for the calendar year of 2024 with the impending arrival of Amiens defender, Kassoum Ouattara.
It has been suggested that the French left-back will join the principality club for a fee of around two million euros, which equates to £1.738 million.
The 19-year-old Paris-born full-back began his youth career at the age of just six when he joined Ivry. He moved on to both FC Montrouge 92 and then to Amiens during the rest of his youth career, before beginning professionally with the Amiens B team in 2021.
He scored one goal in 22 games for the second-team before being promoted into the first-team in 2022 and has become their first choice in that position this season.
Internationally, Ouattara has played twice for the French U18 side but has since gone on to earn three caps for France’s U19 team this year.
He is leaving an Amiens side that are currently sitting in the middle-of-the-table in the second-tier and is moving on to a Monaco side that have started the campaign in extremely entertaining fashion.
Under the management of former Borussia Monchengladbach coach, Adi Hutter, Monaco have managed six victories in their opening ten matches, scoring 23 goals in that time – no team in France’s top-flight has scored more often than them.
Their weakness, though, has been at the back with 14 goals conceded in those ten games. Only Nantes, 19, have conceded more goals in the top-half of Ligue 1. Ouattara, therefore, will be seen as a much-needed defensive reinforcement.
He is also joining at a time when there could be an opening available in the left wing-back role, due to the long term injury absence of Brazilian, Caio Henrique.
Monaco are currently third in Ligue 1, sitting below reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain, as well as relative local rivals, Nice, who are league leaders and remain unbeaten so far this season.
