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Naïs Djouahra, Arouca’s latest left-field signing continues to impress

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Photo: www.fcarouca.eu 

In the recent seasons, Futebol Clube de Arouca have treated us with some fine performances in the Portugal’s Primeira Liga. Since their return to the big stage in 2021/22, the club from the Aveiro district has already achieved a 5th-place finish in 2022/23, 7th place in 2023/24, and more recently 12th place last season. Most of the club’s recent success is due to its excellent international scouting (particularly in the Spanish market).

Every year, Arouca presents quality players who are unknown to the vast majority of the public. Names such as Cristo González, Raja Mújica, De Arruabarrena, Jason, and João Basso, in addition to some players from the domestic market such as Rafael Fernandes and Chico Lamba emerged from virtual anonymity, and some have earned the club several million euros, in addition to their sporting performance.

Currently, the club is not going through the best of times, occupying 16th place in the league, a position that does not tally with the quality of many of the players in the squad. From Taichi Fukui, who since last season has been seen as one of the great midfielders playing in our championship, to the highly experienced captain David Simão, to winger Alfonso Trezza, Arouca have standout performers all over the pitch. These familiar faces have been joined by other quality players such as Lee-Hyun-Ju, a South Korean midfielder from Bayern Munich who has already taken a prominent role in the Arouca starting eleven, and French midfielder Naïs Djouahra.

From France to Portugal, via Spain and Croatia

 

Naïs Douahra heatmap of 2025/26 season (Source: Sofascore)

 

Source: FootyStats

Djouahra arrived at Arouca on a free transfer from Croatian club Rijeka FC, with whom he won the championship last season, scoring 6 goals and providing 4 assists in 35 games. He is a youth product of Saint-Étienne but began his professional career in Spain in La Liga and La Liga2. He is generally an inverted winger who prefers to play on the left side of the attack (although he can also play on the right).

Djouahra scores with a superb first-time volley versus Estoril

He is extremely mobile and can unbalance the defence either on the wing, making moves from the outside in, either dribbling or driving towards goal (one of his best attributes) to combine with his teammates through passing or making use of his good shot, or playing more inside (often appearing in finishing areas) almost like an attacking midfielder, in the so-called “half space”.

Technique and vision

The fact that he is very agile and quick to execute, combined with his technical quality and vision of the game, makes him an excellent option for passing between the lines to his teammates, which allows him to “break down” teams that play with a lower block, for example.

He shows a lot of attitude and personality, as he is often seen during the game asking his teammates for the ball in various areas of the pitch because he knows he has what it takes to get the better of his adversary.

Djouahra goal from a towering header versus Nacional

In terms of areas where he can improve, I would point to his decision making, as sometimes his desire to decide the game on his own is so strong that he misses the timing when he has to release the ball (when he has teammates nearby to receive a pass) and even in the final third (final pass).

In terms of the defensive side of his game, it is not an area in which he excels. I think he lacks consistency in his actions because, although he is quite competent in 1-on-1 defensive situations (he has good timing when tackling most of the time) and even has moments when, for example, he presses the opponent in the first phase of build-up play, he does not always do so consistently. Also, in the defensive transition phase, there are moments when he gives up on the play, leaving his teammates in a difficult situation.

Source: FootyStats

 

Source: FootyStats

Have Arouca hit the jackpot again?

Naïs Djouahra was an excellent business opportunity for Arouca and he is making his mark in our league, with 5 goals and 1 assist in 12 games. Along with Fukui and Lee-Hyun-Ju, he is Arouca’s best hope of turning around their current situation in the Primeira Liga and, in the future, bringing financial returns similar to other players who have recently passed through the club.

Djouahra scores a lovely cross-shot versus AFS

By Rafael Pereira. You can follow Rafa’s work on X at the following accounts: @rafa_pereira7 and @aculpadofm.

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