Who are the next megastars to come out of Ligue 1, where the Next Big Things of soccer are born?

Rayan Cherki: Lyon

There's a number of very good reasons why PSG and Chelsea have both been after Lyon's 19-year-old attacker

Cherki is still a teenager, but has been playing top-flight soccer now for three years. The France youth international is pretty much two-footed, can play anywhere along the front line and is starting to build up some stats to back up his undisputed talent. 

The Lyon youth product produced four goals and six assists in Ligue 1 last season, but has been held back in the past by a feisty attitude which has seen him clash with coaches who want to see more defensive work as well as his individual brilliance. For this reason, OL's coach Laurent Blanc is not treating Cherki with kid gloves: "he is still a young player, very talented. I think we are on the right path. We have come a long way. We always want more because he has exceptional qualities."

Khephren Thuram: Nice

Everyone wants Nice and France midfielder, Khepren Thuram, this summer. Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal to name but a few. The 22-year-old is the son of Lilian Thuram and younger brother of Marcus Thuram but is quickly making a name of his own in the center of the park. The Nice rising star is a dynamic box-to-box midfielder that can glide through the opposition as if they were ghosts. 

It's no wonder that Liverpool looked at the player as there is a definite air of Steven Gerrard about him, with a 6ft 3-inch frame aligned with grace and power. It's not a Nice day for anyone on the opposing team to Thuram this season. 

Bradley Barcola: Lyon

Arguably the find of last season for Lyon, a club that has a golden generation of talent coming through. Despite just one season of top-flight soccer from the 20-year-old Bradley Barcola, the summer has seen an awful lot of suitors for the forward including Manchester City who are looking at the forward player as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez.

Barcola is tall, has pace and excelled playing off Alexandre Lacazette in Lyon's frontline last season. Another season of exceptional growth is on the cards, says OL coach Laurent Blanc, who is definitely a fan: "He doesn't second-guess himself. He scores goals, even though he is not necessarily an out-and-out striker. He can easily eliminate his opponents with his technical finesse and speed."

Desire Doue: Rennes

Desire Doue is another chunk of prodigious talent to come off Rennes' conveyor belt of brilliance. The 18-year-old attacking midfielder was another breakthrough star of last season making 26 appearances in Ligue 1. The summer saw Newcastle United and Barcelona linked with a footballer with an old-school penchant for taking on - and beating - his markers to create havoc on the flanks for Rennes. 

Rennes coach, Bruno Genesio, praised Doue's breakthrough to the first team and advises that "now he has to keep his feet on the ground and continue doing what he is currently doing. If he does, he has a great future ahead of him.”

Eliesse Ben Seghir: Monaco

The last campaign was a rough one for Monaco with the team missing out on the Champions League places. However, one bright spark was the breakthrough of French forward, Eliesse Ben Seghir, who owned the headlines for a weekend by scoring a brace on his Ligue 1 debut at the age of 17 years, 10 months and 12 days. Considering the feat was achieved at the same club and at the same age as Kylian Mbappe, the comparisons were immediate and too fun to ignore.

The 18-year-old can play as an attacking midfielder or number 10, and is likely to be key for Monaco this season with Breel Embolo out for much of the campaign with an ACL injury.