Esteban Mouton

Esteban Mouton's route to Ligue 2 has run entirely through the lower tiers of French football, and entirely without a transfer fee. Every move of his senior career — from Olympique de Valence to Aubagne, from Aubagne to US Orléans, and finally from Orléans to Stade Lavallois — has been a free transfer. He has now signed a three-year contract at Laval, running to 2029.

The right-back's football education began at AS Saint-Étienne, where he spent his youth years before moving on to the Olympique de Valence academy. He turned senior with Valence itself, helping the club reach National 3. The bigger test came at Aubagne FC, where over two seasons he was part of a squad that won promotion from National 2 to National — a campaign the defender himself has described as succeeding "against all expectations" after the club first had to clear financial hurdles with the DNCG.

A season at US Orléans in the National followed before Laval brought him up to Ligue 2. At his new club he has taken the number 23 shirt.