Fnatic have announced the signing of 19-year-old European Masters champion Adam “Adam” Maanane on May 25, pending riot approval. The former Karmine Corp top-laner turned heads in the League community after fantastic Spring Split and European Masters performances. Adam’s move to Fnatic had been speculated for several weeks before official confirmation. After his performances in La Ligue Francaise and EU Masters, it is no surprise that Fnatic took interest in the young French top laner.
Our first ten years in League of Legends ends. Our next ten begins.
Bienvenue à Fnatic, @Ricadam_lol 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/3eAUIB6K5N
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) May 25, 2021
Fnatic revealed the signing of the “Petit Prince” in a video where Adam expressed his excitement to take on the challenge. This signing also increases the likelihood of Gabriel “Bwipo” Rau making the transition to jungler.
Fnatic rebuild in progress starting with Adam
The team’s director, Javier “Dardo” Zafra stated that Adam represented how they wanted to build the future. He described the young French player as a highly talented, humble and committed player. Since losing their star AD Carry, Martin “Rekkles” Larsson, the team has looked disjointed overall.
During most games, they lacked cohesion and could not match the pace of the top teams. Both Bwipo and Zdravets “Hylissang” Galabov played more aggressively than their teammates in some instances. They ended the Spring Playoffs with an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Schalke after struggling for most parts.
After Spring Split ended, it was clear that changes were coming for Fnatic. However, no one was entirely sure whether Fnatic would wait until Summer to make these changes. The team’s decision to sign a player like Adam shows that they are looking towards a rebuild. Fnatic must perform much differently from Spring Split if they hope to qualify for 2021 Worlds. Adam’s move to Fnatic may be the best for the team as it needs new ideas and inspiration. However, the young French player must quickly adapt to the LEC.
