Spotlighting high-upside academy prospects across European football often reveals the next generation of stars before they break onto the senior stage.
French-Serbian teenage sensation Bojan Zekovic has been in the news in recent days, as AS Monaco look set to snap him up after Olympique Lyon reportedly decided to let him go due to disciplinary concerns.
On the pitch, there is a general consensus in France that the 16-year-old has a glittering future ahead of him and will be one of the finest strikers of his generation, judging by how well he developed through the ranks in Lyon.
Who is Bojan Zekovic? The 1.87m French-Serbian phenom
Born on October 4, 2010, in Cholet, France, Bojan Zekovic represents the modern archetype of an elite central striker.
Still only 16, he already stands at 1.87m tall with a powerful physical frame and combines natural aerial presence with explosive pace and technical sharpness in tight spaces.
The youngster progressed from Nantes and SO Cholet before joining Lyon’s academy in 2023 as a 13-year-old.
He has developed within Olympique Lyon's renowned Academy OL, the same pipeline that produced Karim Benzema, Alexandre Lacazette, Bradley Barcola, and Rayan Cherki.
In terms of his attitude, he has been described by some sources close to the club to be like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Lyon appear to have run out of patience with him, according to L'Equipe.
The younger brother of Partizan Belgrade midfielder Aleksa Zekovic, Bojan's dual-national eligibility adds international intrigue to his profile, as scouting networks across Europe actively monitor his rapid development.
Dominating youth ranks: Inside Zekovic's rapid rise at Lyon
Zekovic's progression through Lyon's youth development structure has been marked by remarkable goalscoring consistency.
Despite his youth, he made an immediate impact upon ascending to Lyon's U-17 national group as a 14-year-old, regularly featuring at the age bracket to anchor the forward line.
He scored 12 goals in 20 league appearances for the U-17 side in the 2024-25 season, and was promoted to the U-19s ahead of the 2025-26 season.
To observers, his performance traits stand out instantly, as he excels at pinning center-backs, running the channels, and finishing with power on his favoured left foot.
His physical maturation allows him to hold off senior-bodied academy defenders, providing Lyon’s creative midfielders with a reliable reference point inside the penalty box.
International recognition and where Zekovic's future could lie
Zekovic's domestic form across various youth levels quickly caught the eye of national team selectors, earning him earned call-ups to the France U-17 national squad.
With Lyon having decided to cut him loose, he is set to become one of the most sought-after young talents in French football.
He has been on the radar of AS Monaco for months, with the principality club keen to snap him up from Lyon, and they could be set to take full advantage of his dismissal from Lyon's youth ranks.
With top Premier League and Serie A clubs continuously scouting France's talent-rich academies, his combination of size, left-footed finishing, and link-up play positions him as one of the most exciting central forward prospects in French football.
Monaco will likely offer him a more straightforward path to senior football, as they have consistently shown significant trust in teenage prospects.
