PROFILE | Lucas Chevalier following in Mike Maignan’s footsteps | OneFootball

Ever since 2022, when Lucas Chevalier was thrust into the Lille first team at the age of 20, people have clamoured to discuss the young goalkeeper’s potential. It has been patently obvious from Chevalier’s first few games with his formative club that there was something special about him.

The question that has accompanied Chevalier has always been how high can the young goalkeeper fly. However, this year has represented something very different as we have watched him begin to realise his potential with Les Dogues and take more than a few significant steps in what looks to be a career destined for the very top.

A year of milestones

2024 was a year of milestones for the goalkeeper, it will always be the year that he made his first appearance in the Champions League and the year that he was called up to the France team for the first time. Chevalier has embraced each of these milestones and come away looking like a stronger player for having passed them.

And with each milestone, the transfer fee that he will likely command at the end of the season grows. Although perhaps even an eyewatering transfer would not be enough to cover for the loss of his talents and the safety he provides as the last line of defence.

Near the start of the year, Chevalier was provided with a taste of European knockout football in the Europa Conference League. It was the first time that the club had ever reached a quarter-final in a European competition and it was a journey brought to its end by Aston Villa in a penalty shootout.

Despite playing well throughout the contest against the Premier League side, Chevalier was at fault for the goal which sent the game to extra time after he dropped a cross when he collided with Nabil Bentaleb. However, he did cover himself in glory when he pulled off a spectacular double save to deny Leon Bailey and Douglas Luiz at the death, as well as saving a penalty in the shootout to provide his teammates with numerous lifelines.

For Chevalier, the Europa Conference League was a good experience. However, he knew that his next experience on the continent had to be in the Champions League if he was to achieve his goal of becoming a France international. “I still have to gain experience, show good things, and then play in competitions that are more important than the Conference League.”

“All those who are selected for the French team play in the Champions League or have already played in it. That’s not my case, so I just want to play and if I keep working like I do, it’ll happen.” Chevalier would be provided the chance to play in the Champions League when Lille finished fourth in Ligue 1 at the end of the 2023/24 season meaning that they had a shot at qualifying for the competition.

Chevalier shines in Europe

No French team had managed to plot a route through the Champions League qualifying rounds since Monaco in the 2016/17 edition. The odds looked against them but Les Dogues managed to reach the league phase by surpassing José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe and SK Slavia Prague.

They were greeted into the competition proper with a nightmarish draw as they would have to play Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, Juventus, and Liverpool. After a poor start against Sporting, Lille have met each of their challenges with a grin becoming one of the most endearing stories in the Champions League and Chevalier one of the breakout stars.

Chevalier’s performance against the reigning champions Real Madrid was particularly special. It was an announcement on the grand stage to what people in France have readily known, this goalkeeper has his future in his hands. Lille had outperformed Los Blancos for the majority of their 1-0 victory but as the minutes ticked away the French side had to rely more heavily on Chevalier.

The goalkeeper was in constant action when a drowsy Real side woke up and began to flex its muscles. Chevalier was tasked with pulling out a number of reflex saves to keep a stacked attacking roster of Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappé at bay. The young goalkeeper looked comfortable despite the pressure mounting and secured Lille a victory that will be treasured for long after this season has passed.

The match came the day before Didier Deschamps was set to announce his France squad for the penultimate international break of the year. And there was widespread calls for the head coach to buck his reputation of being slow to bed new players into the squad and to provide Chevalier his first international call-up. It was not to be.

Lille’s head coach, Bruno Génésio cooled expectations and praised his goalkeeper suggesting that “he is getting closer and closer” to a call-up. However, he also warned Deschamps it was getting harder to ignore the performances of the young Frenchman, “I hope it is not just because he is at Lille that he is not picked… When we see the performances he’s achieved in the Champions League, which for me is the highest level of football, we can say that he is now at an international level.”

Maignan’s heir?

Deschamps agreed. And in the final international break of 2024, the Lille goalkeeper was provided his first call-up to the team. Chevalier did not play any minutes in France’s draw with Israel or victory over Italy. However, it was clear that the young goalkeeper now had this foot in the door. He had replaced Alphonse Areola and taken ownership as the third-choice goalkeeper.

Chevalier will not allow himself to plateau and each milestone that he has achieved has clearly given him a greater need to achieve more. 2024 was an important year in his journey but it is far from the final step. It is clear that the Lille goalkeeper has his eyes on becoming the number one for France and displacing his former teammate Mike Maignan.

Lille will surely hope that they can keep Chevalier for as long as possible as it’s obvious he is a leader who makes the team better. However, his performances in the Champions League have not just earned the appreciation of his national team manager but also for the hungry eyes of Europe’s elite.

GFFN | Nick Hartland