'Blessed with extraordinary gifts' - why Al Ahli fans will love Enzo Millot

He was reportedly targeted by European giants like Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, but in the end, it was Al Ahli that secured the prized signature of exciting French star Enzo Millot.

With all indications pointing towards a move from the Bundesliga’s VfB Stuttgart to the Spanish capital, the reigning Asian champions swooped late last week. Without doubt, it represents a major coup for the club and manager Matthias Jaissle ahead of the new Roshn Saudi League season.

Having turned 23 only a matter of weeks ago, Millot had made a name for himself in the Bundesliga during the past two seasons after arriving from AS Monaco in his homeland.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that it was the Jaissle that took a liking to Millot, the German tactician said to have played a pivotal role in tempting the young midfielder to join him in Jeddah.

With his background and connections in Germany, Jaissle still pays close attention to football there and, understandably, would’ve liked what he saw from Millot across his two years in the Bundesliga.

However, after his transfer from Monaco to Stuttgart, Millot struggled initially to adapt to competitive life in another country, a cause that wasn’t helped by repeated injuries. So, it wasn’t until Sebastian Hoeness became coach that his fortunes changed.

Ironically, Hoeness and Jaissle previously worked together in the youth set-up at RB Leipzig, and no doubt the pair keep in touch. Hence, it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine the two exchanged thoughts on the prospects, and development, of Millot.

That shared experience at Red Bull helped guide their respective coaching careers, and the in-tune ideologies augurs well for Millot working with Jaissle at Al Ahli.

Like Hoeness, Jaissle is a disciple of the 4-2-3-1 formation – although has been known at times to switch to a 4-4-2 – and last season deployed Gabri Veiga in that central attacking role.

Riyad Mahrez and Galeno worked their respective magic on either flank, with England international Ivan Toney leading the line.

With Veiga since departed, Jaissle needed a new creative outlet and he has found just the man in Millot, who has the versatility to play a variety of roles through midfield.

Naturally a creative midfielder, with a sweet left foot and an ability to break the lines, his playmaking proficiency alongside the flair of Mahrez and Galeno, and married with the goalscoring nous of Toney, makes for a frightening front four at upward-trending Al Ahli.

While other managers had perhaps overlooked Millot, Hoeness took a liking to the young Frenchman and made him a regular feature in the 2023-24 season.

That represented a breakout campaign for Millot, who registered five goals and four assists as Stuttgart stormed to a second-placed finish behind runaway leaders, and eventual champions, Bayer Leverkusen.

The, that summer, Millot reached the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics with France, scoring in the showpiece against Spain. However, for he and the hosts missed out on the gold medal in extra-time.

Still, if his 2023-24 outlay was good, Millot’s 2024-25 was even better. Early on, he signalled his intent by playing a starring role in an early season 5-1 evisceration of Borussia Dortmund. In front of a raucous home crowd, he delivered a goal and two assists.

The devastating display prompted Hoeness to declare Millot had taken his game to a new level.

"The lad is blessed with extraordinary gifts," Hoeness said after the victory. "He's exceptionally good. We could talk about many today, but he really delivered something extraordinary.

“We all know the kind of form he's in. He's playing a great season. Today, that was on a totally different level. He raised the bar - and I can talk about the "new" bar.

انتقالات موسم 2025-2026

“He runs; he's aggressive in duels; he's got a lot to offer – and it needs to be talked about."

And talk they did.

A week later, Millot scored again to make it three goals and two assists from the opening five rounds of the season, prompting legendary German international, and former Bayern Munich and Liverpool midfielder, Dietmar Hamann to claim Millot “is probably the best player in the Bundesliga right now”.

“If he continues like this," Hamann added, "big clubs will come.”

Yet, while Millot didn’t quite continue such a hot streak, he did finish the season with 12 goals and eight assists across all competitions, headlined by finding the net in the DFB-Pokal final win against Arminia Bielefeld.

The cherry atop a considerable cake, it marked by far the best campaign of his young career to date.

And indeed, just as Hamann predicted, the big clubs did come knocking; Atletico Madrid and Tottenham were credited with being among Millot’s chief admirers this summer. Although, it was Jaissle’s progressive project in Jeddah that proved most enticing.

After continental success last season, Al Ahli are targeting league glory in the 2025-26 RSL, which kicks off on August 28.

And, in landing the much-coveted Millot, it might just be the missing piece of the jigsaw they need to turn that ambition into reality.