The Frenchman arrived in Spain with plenty of doubters following a few poor years at Manchester City but he has since managed to sparkle under Jorge Sampaoli's tutelage.
Few clubs can rival Sevilla in recent years in terms of how successfully they manage to recruit stars on the wane and rejuvenate them to high levels.
Impact bury Drogba controversy
Ever Banega and Adil Rami are just two examples of players Sevilla has taken under its wing and given the tools to get back to the top following a few years of stagnation.