Kévin Danois Scout Report — AJ Auxerre | Ligue 1 22-Year-Old Attacking Midfielder (Captain)
Academy Nations League series — France (Ligue 1): AJ Auxerre
Following the goalkeeper (Mamadou Diop), centre-back (Axel Tuanzebe), right-back (Lamine Sy), left-back (Sékou Fofana) and defensive midfield (Naouirou Ahamada) files, we move to the sixth slot in the series’ eight-position pattern at AJ Auxerre: attacking/creative central midfield. Our subject is Kévin Danois, a 22-year-old French midfielder who came through Auxerre’s academy and now captains the club.
Quick scout answer: Kévin Danois is AJ Auxerre’s captain and number 5, a 1.83m (one secondary source lists 1.81m, unconfirmed) right-footed central/attacking midfielder born on 28 June 2004 in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe. He came through local club La Gauloise before joining Auxerre’s academy in 2019 and signing his first professional contract in July 2022. He made 33 Ligue 1 appearances in 2025-26 (2 goals, 1 assist, average rating around 7.2, flagged by FotMob as a standout performer), overcame an Achilles tendon issue in preseason 2026, and started the 2026-27 season opener against Lens (a 5-2 defeat) as captain on 22 August 2026, with the armband made official days later. His contract reportedly runs to June 2029 (one source says 2028). His market value is reported very inconsistently across secondary sources: €8m-14m in most Transfermarkt-based relays, with mercato reports citing a club asking price as high as €25m-30m.
Profile and monitoring framework
Danois’s path runs from a local club in Guadeloupe (La Gauloise, Basse-Terre) through Auxerre’s academy (joined 2019) to a first professional contract in July 2022 and, ultimately, the club captaincy — a clear homegrown trajectory. He made 33 Ligue 1 appearances in 2025-26 (2 goals, 1 assist), with analytics relayed via Morning-Foot (Data’Scout) placing him in high percentiles for long passing (80th), progressive passing (72nd) and key passes/through-balls (84th), and an xA score of 86/100 — a deep playmaker/”relayeur” profile rather than a ball-winning six. His defensive numbers (tackles, interceptions) sit in low percentiles for the league.
Watch criteria: (1) whether his elite passing and xA numbers translate into more direct goals/assists as the season progresses; (2) whether he sustains his form and the captaincy amid persistent transfer interest (Lyon, Lille, Rennes, Crystal Palace have all been linked per Maxifoot/Les Transferts) and conflicting reports on his contract length and market value; (3) whether his limited defensive output is managed by Will Still’s system pairing him with a more defensive-minded partner (e.g. Naouirou Ahamada, covered in our previous file).
GegenSports scout note
Scout verdict: Long-term watch list, not an active target — Danois is a homegrown captain with elite creative passing numbers but still-limited direct goal/assist output and weak defensive numbers, operating under persistent transfer speculation. GegenSports score: 66/100 (creative passing quality — long/progressive passes, xA 17/20, current 2026-27 contribution at Auxerre — captain, standout performer 15/20, physical profile and duel strength — weak tackle/interception numbers 9/20, attacking output — low across his career so far 10/20, club trust and continuity — captaincy and a long deal, but constant transfer rumours 15/20). His reported market value spans a very wide range (€8m-30m depending on the source), and his captaincy and deep homegrown ties at Auxerre make a near-term move both uncertain and unlikely, keeping this strictly a long-term profile to monitor.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Kévin Danois? AJ Auxerre’s 22-year-old captain, born in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, and a product of the club’s own academy.
What position does he play? Central/attacking midfielder — a deep playmaker (“relayeur”) role rather than a ball-winning six, used higher up Will Still’s midfield than Naouirou Ahamada.
How did he join Auxerre? He is a pure academy product: joined the youth system in 2019 and signed his first professional contract in July 2022.
What is his record at Auxerre so far? 33 Ligue 1 appearances in 2025-26 (2 goals, 1 assist); started as captain in the 2026-27 opener against Lens (22 August) and has featured in every match through at least 12 September (Nice) since.
Has he played for a national team? France U16 and U18 caps, plus 2 appearances at U21 (Espoirs) level (a friendly vs Serbia, a qualifier vs Iceland); no senior caps found.
Would he suit the Süper Lig? His creative profile is theoretically attractive, but his captaincy, homegrown ties and inconsistently reported high market value make a near-term move unlikely.
What is his market value? Reported very inconsistently: €8m-14m per most Transfermarkt-based relays, with some mercato reports citing an asking price as high as €25m-30m.
Does he have an injury history? A right thigh injury in October 2025 and an Achilles tendon issue in preseason 2026; he appears fit and has started regularly since the 2026-27 opener.
Sources and data note
This file is based on Wikipedia’s biographical entries for Kévin Danois, the FFF’s (French Football Federation) national-team records, UEFA’s U21 squad and match data, Morning-Foot’s captaincy reporting and Data’Scout-sourced style analytics, Maxifoot’s transfer-interest reporting, FotMob’s 2025-26 season statistics, FootyStats’s passing/xA data, and Rotowire’s match records. Transfermarkt’s own profile page could not be accessed directly for this report; his height, market value and contract end date show unresolved conflicts across secondary sources (height 1.81m-1.83m, market value €8m-30m, contract end 2028 or 2029) and should be verified directly before any firm conclusions are drawn. Information is accurate as of 10 October 2026 and should be updated as the season progresses. No images are included in this file. This report is not investment or legal advice.
