{
  "id": 12854519,
  "title": "FEATURE | Mezian Mesloub – Lens’ star in the making",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/feature-mezian-mesloub-lens-star-in-the-making",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-08T11:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/feature-mezian-mesloub-lens-star-112000756.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mezian Mesloub, a 16-year-old football prodigy, has become a star player for Lens, despite only having 11 minutes of first-team action and no professional contract. The club made a priority of keeping Mesloub, seeing him as a potential game-changer rather than someone for the future. Despite interest from big European clubs, including Benfica, Lens managed to retain Mesloub. The teenager's debut goal in their Coupe de France-winning season confirmed his place in the team, and his performance in European matches, such as the winning goal against FC Nantes, highlighted his potential. Mesloub's progress was evident as he was given opportunities in Ligue 1, including substitute appearances against Strasbourg and Le Mans. The turning point came in Europe, where he shone in the 3-2 win over Slavia Praha, influencing the team's late comeback and earning his first career assist. Yannick Cahuzac, replacing Dino Toppmöller, handed Mesloub his first start in the 2-1 loss to AS Monaco. Mesloub's involvement in the first team continued, leading to his call-up to the Portugal U21s. This feature from Get French Football News suggests that Mesloub's story may be the beginning of a wider international battle, with Algeria and France also pursuing the talented young player.",
  "summary": "RC Lens are no strangers to departures. And this summer was no exception, as they let Mamadou Sangaré, Adrien Thomasson, Malang Sarr, Wesley Saïd, and Allan Saint-Maximin leave their Coupe de France...",
  "key_points": [
    "16-year-old Mezian Mesloub excels as Lens' star player.",
    "Retained by Lens despite interest from European giants.",
    "Scored debut goal in Coupe de France-winning season."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}