Zachary Athekame or David Beckham? “He must have a VHS of Beckham at home.” With this comment, 'L’Equipe' praised yet another excellent performance by Zachary Athekame in the Lyon shirt. The Swiss footballer, on a straight loan in France but owned by Milan, provided yet another assist in Olympique’s victory over Nice on Sunday evening, also earning the award for the best player of the match.
Now, in France, there are fears that he could even leave the club in January if he continues like this, as relayed via Milan News today.
This start to the season, between Lyon and Switzerland, has been truly special for Zachary Athekame. The player owned by the Rossoneri has made the right flank his own at Olympique, coached by Paulo Fonseca, who is helping him develop significantly. In France, he has made a total of nine appearances, recording two goals and three assists: seven of these matches were in the league, while the other two were in European competitions.
To this record must be added what he has managed to achieve with Switzerland. For the first time, he was called up to the senior national team by head coach Murat Yakin, making his debut and playing at a very high level: four matches, three of them as a starter, with an assist in his debut match. These numbers accurately reflect what he has been showing on the pitch in every match, namely high-level performances.
Will Zachary Athekame return to AC Milan?
His performances have been of such a high level and so significant that some in France even fear Athekame could leave early. On Monday, Spanish journalist Andrés Onrubia Ramos, the Paris correspondent for Diario AS and la SER, commented on the Swiss player's impact as follows:
"Zachary Athekame is Olympique Lyonnais's best player at the moment. And he is probably among the top three right-backs in Ligue 1. Brutal physical superiority in duels on the right flank, as well as great attacking potential. At this level, Milan will bring him back in January."
Milan had the foresight to send Athekame out on a straight loan: a move that, on the one hand, shows that the club believes in the player's potential and, on the other, gives him the opportunity to express himself consistently in a competitive environment.
Precisely for this latter reason, unless circumstances that cannot currently be foreseen make it necessary, it would make sense to allow Athekame to complete his loan spell at Lyon. Bringing him back to Milanello, unless there is certainty that he will be able to play regularly, would interrupt the excellent progress that the player has laid the foundations for during these first two months of the season.
The future is on his side, including at Milan, and there is time for it to unfold.
