Clément Akpa

Clément Akpa is a 24-year-old Ivorian centre back currently at Auxerre in Ligue 1, a club he has helped establish at the top level after winning the Ligue 2 title earlier in his career. Across the 2025/26 season he has made 23 appearances, accumulating 1,829 minutes, which points to a player who has been a regular fixture in the defensive setup even if he has not always been the automatic first choice in recent weeks.

His season average rating of 6.74 reflects a solid if unspectacular campaign for a centre back whose primary value lies in defensive organisation rather than contributing at either end. He has registered no goals or assists, which is not unusual for the position, and his most recent rated start came in the 1-0 defeat at Marseille in March, where he completed the full 90 minutes and earned a 6.45 rating. Since then his involvement has been limited, with only a brief six-minute substitute appearance in the 3-0 home win over Brest and no recorded minutes in the subsequent fixtures against Strasbourg, Le Havre, and Nantes.

That drop in playing time is the most notable development in Akpa's recent trajectory. Whether it reflects a tactical reshuffle, a minor fitness issue, or increased competition for places in the back line is worth monitoring. Auxerre's run of results during this period has been mixed, taking four points from three games, and the defensive unit has kept clean sheets in two of those outings, suggesting the team has not suffered from any individual absence.

In Auxerre's next fixture, the key observation will be whether Akpa returns to the starting eleven or continues in a squad role. If he does feature from the start, his aerial ability and positioning under pressure against a direct opponent will be the main things to assess, particularly as Auxerre look to consolidate their Ligue 1 standing in the final weeks of the season.