Talents Calendar
SCO Angers forward Mohamed-Ali Cho has featured in 1172 minutes this season, making him the most used player in his age category. The forward is a regular starter under coach Gérald Baticle, who is currently guiding Angers towards playing the best season in the club’s history. Cho is not the primary goalscorer; forward Sofiane Boufal takes up that role. But the young star has already taken on some primary tasks, particularly when it comes to working against the ball. According to FBref, the forward is the player that puts the most pressure on the opponent of any player playing in a top-five league.
The forward, however, has also demonstrated that he can fulfill the primary task asked of his position, scoring goals. One example is matchday 4 against Stade Rennais. A few minutes before the end of the game, he made it 2-0, just after winning an aerial duel against an opponent and then putting away a rebound. Cho became the first player born in 2004 to score in the French first division. “He has a good head; he works hard and listens to us,” defender and teammate Romain Thomas said. The 33-year-old is almost twice as old as Cho. “He has above the average natural qualities; his physical strength and speed stand out.”
Cho had to wait for that moment for almost a year. The 17-year-old celebrated his debut in Ligue 1 in August 2020 against Girondins Bordeaux. That season, Cho only received a few minutes here and there before he became a regular starter this season. In the Ligue 1 market value update, Cho was one of the big winners seeing his market value increase from €6 million to €10 million. That makes the forward the third most valuable player born in 2004 behind Gavi and Youssoufa Moukoko. But Cho is almost an established star; he has already played 41 games across all competitions for his club.
Mit Gavi, Moukoko & Co.: Die wertvollsten Spieler des Jahrgangs 2004
Other clubs have noticed, and he has been linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund. As a result, the decision-makers at Angers know that they will not be able to keep the talent forever. Club president Saïd Chabane hopes to generate between €40 million and €50 million for Cho, which would make him the most expensive transfer in the club’s history (overview). “What we want isn’t just his current market value but his long-term potential,” Chabane said, who wants to keep Cho until the end of the season. “Even if we would agree to a deal in the winter, our goal is to keep him until the end of the season. That is one of our demands.” His contract runs until 2023.
Mohamed-Ali Cho: Via PSG and Everton to SCO Angers
The interest in the teenager will only grow as he receives more playing time. But Cho has kept it cool. “I am going to keep boot my feet on the ground,” Cho said after scoring. “My environment will make sure that I will keep my cool, will keep working hard, and follow my goals. I don’t pay attention to all the noise.” The environment he grew up in, however, also has meant that his life had many twists and turns. Cho grew up in the Paris suburb of Stains and joined Paris Saint-Germain at a young age, scoring goal after goal. But in 2015, his parents moved for work to England, where the talent joined Everton. Cho played four years at the Toffees before the parents returned to France. Because the English first division club could not agree terms with Cho, the teenager returned to France. “Everton isn’t the project we are looking for,” Cho’s mother, who is now his agent, said at the time.
Instead, Cho joined Angers, where he developed into a first-team player in just a few months. He also attracted the interest of the French federation, which invited him to junior national teams. Cho previously played for the Three Lions. Whether he will play for France or England remains to be seen. The forward is also eligible for the Ivory Coast and Morocco. A topic that has a low priority at the moment. Instead, the focus is on the French first division, where he is working on his development. “Thinking about his weaknesses, then you have to point out that he is still lacking vision in front of goal or during key moments,” TM user and an expert for French football Omero142 said. “It is something he still has to work on. Another aspect is his physical strength.”
“What makes him special is his maturity, his ability to break into the first team and become a regular starter at a young age, even though he has just played one season,” Omero142 said. “That is impressive. He is the sort of player who always annoys defenders and is hard to calculate.” Omero142 believes that Cho has a bright future if he becomes more efficient in front of goal and develops his vision in crucial moments.
From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2004. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.
