Martí Cifuentes has defended former Gunner Stephy Mavididi as pressure mounts on the Leicester City winger to recapture his goalscoring form.
Mavididi, now 27, squandered a one-on-one in the weekend’s goalless draw with Coventry, a miss that saw sections of the crowd call for 16-year-old Jeremy Monga to be given his chance in his place.
The former Arsenal academy forward is still without a goal this season and has become the focus of rising scrutiny, but his manager is adamant he retains full faith in him.
“Stephy, in this stage of his career, is a mature player,” Cifuentes said. “He understands, when a player has the quality he’s got, there’s always big expectations around him. He knew it was a big chance. But what I value is that he’s trying again and again and that’s the most important thing.”
Cifuentes acknowledged that expectation weighs heavily after Mavididi’s outstanding Championship campaign two years ago, but he pointed to his honesty and persistence as reasons to back him. “It’s not easy for him. Last season was perhaps not the best for him. I’m here to try to get the best out of his game. What I value is that he’s honest. We know he can deliver a lot and can be a very important player for the team.”
The Spaniard also underlined Mavididi’s influence on younger talents like Monga, citing his experience abroad and at major clubs. “It’s always healthy that there is competition. Jeremy can learn a lot from Stephy. When you look at Stephy’s career, he’s done well, not only in the Championship, he’s already played in the Premier League, he’s played abroad at a high level, at big clubs like Juventus and Arsenal. There is definitely something that Jez can learn from him.”
Mavididi’s path moved from Southend United to Arsenal’s Hale End academy at 13 and signed professional terms four years later in 201. He developed a reputation as a prolific scorer at youth level, but injuries, particularly recurring hamstring problems, derailed his progress.
He never made a senior competitive appearance for The Arsenal and, after loans with Charlton and Preston, left for Juventus in 2018 for €1.5m. Subsequent spells with Dijon and Montpellier came before Leicester secured his return to England two years ago.
At Leicester, he has established himself as a key part of the attack, though the expectation is clear: he must deliver more. He currently has 19 goals in 87 appearances for the Foxes, along with eight assists.