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New York Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
So your club can't land Liam Delap this summer – who should they target instead?
Right now it would be quicker to list the teams who are not interested in Liam Delap. In a season of struggle at Ipswich Town, the 22-year-old has been one of few players in a blue shirt who has stood out in the strongest league of European football. Crucially, his attributes are in demand this summer, with a long line of clubs forming a queue for Delap's services. Advertisement A relegation release clause — reported to be around £30million — means that Delap is available at a very affordable price, with The Athletic reporting that Chelsea and Manchester United are among the Premier League clubs considering a move for him. Having scored 34 per cent of Ipswich's league goals — the fourth-highest share of any player — Delap has often been tasked with generating his own chances with limited service from his team-mates. In a counter-attacking Ipswich side, Delap's powerful, driving runs forward have been a theme of his season as he has shouldered much of the attacking responsibility with a return of 10 non-penalty goals — at a rate of one in three — for his efforts. Whether it is thumping finishes from range or delicate flicks at the near post, Delap is in a rush to get on the scoresheet. A desire to get forward is the bare minimum for a striker, but Delap is something of a throwback — an out-and-out striker who is desperate to stretch the opposition back line. This is highlighted in Delap's SkillCorner profile below, denoting his off-ball run types as a share of his total runs made. Runs ahead of the ball or in-behind opposition defences take up a healthy amount of Delap's running real estate, with a large share of cross receiver runs (runs towards goal to receive a possible cross) showing a player who thrives at the sharp end of his side's attack. Sadly, there is only one Liam Delap to go around, so plenty of clubs are going to be disappointed this summer. For those forced to look elsewhere, allow The Athletic to throw some alternative names at you — in a manner that a certain member of the Delap family would be proud of. Using SkillCorner's data, we can narrow down some centre-forwards who are capable — and more importantly, constantly willing — to make those explosive, bustling runs towards the opposition goal. The scatter chart below has been filtered for centre-forwards under the age of 25 across Europe's top seven leagues. Advertisement First, we can use a bespoke SkillCorner metric known as Peak Sprint Velocity 99th percentile (PSV-99), that reflects the top speed of a player and their ability to reach it multiple times or sustain it for long enough. Secondly, we can combine Delap's favourite runs as outlined above — those in-behind the defence, ahead of the ball, and to get on the end of crosses — as a percentage of each player's total runs. Put the two together, and some familiar names stand out. It should be no surprise to see Erling Haaland direct such a high proportion of his runs towards goal, while Nicolas Jackson and Rasmus Hojlund — though much less prolific than the Norwegian — are notably quick and direct when it comes to their off-ball movement. Samu Aghehowa is as destructive as it gets with his blistering pace and muscular frame, but would not come cheap, with a €100m release clause inserted into his contract at Porto. Equipped with this extra information, along with a few eye-test favourites from The Athletic's data department, here are five players to consider. Standing at 6ft 5in (195cm), and Europe's fastest centre-forward per SkillCorner's PSV-99 metric, Emegha instantly fits the physical, line-leading mould. The 22-year-old is another forward bought and sold by Austrian side Sturm Graz, along with Hojlund and Monaco's man-of-the-moment Mika Biereth, a sure-fire seal of approval regarding his athletic, goal-poacher profile. At the top of an exciting Strasbourg side, Emegha is often the man to stretch in behind and keep opposition centre-backs on their toes. His opening goal away at Marseille back in January was almost comical as he recalibrated his run three times to get in behind a slack defensive line. Andrey Santos + Emanuel Emegha = FOOTBALL IQ 🧠🇧🇷🇳🇱 — Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) January 19, 2025 Emegha is less emphatic than Delap — more about bundling home from close-range and finishing his chances with finesse — but his shot map below illustrates just how much danger the Dutchman's darting runs can generate, with almost 97 per cent of his league shots this season falling inside the penalty area. Only four Ligue 1 players have scored more than his 14 goals. His expected goal (xG) value per shot of 0.28 is also the highest of any player in Europe's top five leagues this season, pointing to a striker who consistently gets himself into threatening positions, even if his finishing can sometimes leave a little to be desired. Despite his more slender frame, Emegha can still hold his own and create something from nothing with combative channel runs. Here against Saint-Etienne, for example, he drifts out to the flank to take in a bouncing ball out of defence in frame one. Shielding the ball from defender Mickael Nade, he manages to squirm away from the challenge, sending the defender to the floor with a healthy shoulder barge, before picking out Diego Moreira on the edge of the box to score. On occasion Emegha's height can work against him — he can sometimes look clumsy in front of goal while he sorts out his feet — but his speed, strength, and magnetism to high-value shooting opportunities makes him an intriguing profile who will continue to cause damage as he sharpens his striking instincts. Villarreal's Thierno Barry is similarly tall and quick, but that bit more relentless in his running. Only one player across Europe's top seven leagues — Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis — has made more runs in behind per 30 minutes of team possession this season, illustrating Barry's eagerness to attack whenever his team has the ball. Advertisement Barry is better in the air too — only two La Liga forwards have taken more headed shots than him since he joined from Swiss side FC Basel last summer — but there is an element of chaos to the 22-year-old's all-action game. He often opts for power over accuracy in front of goal, even taking to social media to apologise to playmaker Alex Baena after a 2-1 win over Real Valladolid for not converting all of the chances he slid his way. When he gets it right, however, Barry is difficult to stop. This thumping volley away at Getafe highlights his ability to hold up the ball, as he scraps with full-back Juan Iglesias and barges past two more in midfield before instantly looking to stretch the defensive line. He gets on the end of Ayoze Perez's chipped pass and smashes home first time. Por la jugada. Por la asistencia. Por el remate. Lo de @Barry29Thierno es un golazo 😮💨#GetafeVillarreal | #LaLigaHighlights — Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) April 1, 2025 Barry's tally of 11 goals in his first La Liga season is strong, the quantity and the variety of chances falling his way a direct result of his head-on approach. He took 10 shots against Real Sociedad a fortnight ago, leading counter-attacks by himself, moving quickly in congested penalty areas, and running at players and cutting in from wide. Like Emegha, and Delap himself, the raw materials are certainly there for a team looking to take the chance. Barely out of his teenage years, Castro has led Bologna's attack this season as they push for a Champions League spot for the second consecutive season. A return of eight Serie A goals might sound modest, but only Saint-Etienne's Lucas Stassin has scored more goals in Europe's top five leagues among players aged 20 or younger this season. In what has been a breakout campaign, Castro has filled the boots of Joshua Zirkzee in a Bologna shirt after arriving from his native Argentina in the summer of 2023. A glance at Castro's shotmap depicts a penalty-box striker who snuffs out opportunities close to goal — with a healthy smattering of first-time finishes as he arrives at the right place at the right time. He might not look tall, but at 6ft with a strong leap and brave disposition, Castro's aerial ability means he has provided plenty of finishes with his head. However, don't be fooled into thinking his game is limited to that of a poacher. Castro is adept at dropping in between opposition lines, before turning and firing from distance. Strikes against Monza and Atalanta in the early weeks of the season are similar to some of the thumping finishes that Delap has shown in the Premier League. Given his country of origin, comparisons with Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez are not unfounded — with Castro's ability to come short or run in behind and stretch opposition defences. He might be raw at times, but an early purchase might save clubs millions if he comes close to fulfilling his potential. It feels like David has been linked with a move away from Lille in every transfer window since he joined the club in 2020. Somehow, the Canadian international is still only 25 years old, but here is the kicker: his situation is particularly interesting this summer, given that he will be a free agent by the start of July as things stand. While a substantial signing-on fee would be required, any interested clubs should be on high alert for his services as he enters the peak years of his career. What stands out most about David is his unpredictability as he can shoot with either foot. Trying to pin him to one side in particular is a fruitless task for opposition defenders — helping him to pull the trigger no matter the situation. This is underpinned by his shotmap since 2022-23, with nearly a third of his efforts coming with his 'weaker' left foot. Add in his aerial ability and this is a well-rounded striker to match anyone in Europe across recent seasons. 'If you want to be a top striker, you have to be able to shoot and be very good with both feet so players can't anticipate what foot you're going to use,' David told Canadian media in 2023. 'So that's why I've worked on both feet. I'd say my left foot is pretty good but I think I can still get better.' An average league goalscoring rate of 0.59 per 90 minutes across his five seasons at Lille in the French top flight suggests that David is definitely doing a lot right at the sharp end of the pitch. Parma's Bonny has six Serie A goals this season — two of them penalties. Not exactly world-beating numbers. But look closer, and there are signs he could handle a step up. Bonny arrived at Parma in 2021 from French third-tier side Chateauroux — the same club where Jean-Philippe Mateta got his start. He settled quickly in northern Italy, racking up over 100 appearances and scoring the promotion-clinching goal in a 1-1 draw with Bari last season. Parma average just 44 per cent possession — the fourth-lowest in Serie A — and, like Delap at Ipswich, that limits Bonny's touches in the opposition box. Dropping deep to offer an out ball and link play isn't optional in a side fighting for survival. As a result, Bonny — playing in the Italian city known for its ham — has to carve out chances himself, often from tricky starting positions. Take his last goal against Monza: he picks up the ball in the left channel near halfway, accelerates past two onrushing defenders, cuts inside, shapes his body, and buries a shot into the top-right corner. Like Delap, Bonny's physical attributes belie his age, helping him turn these low-percentage moments into real opportunities. His assist against Fiorentina on the opening day of the season showcased his imposing strength. Competing for a long ball, Bonny eased past Lucas Martinez Quarta, before rolling the ball across the box for Dennis Man to finish. But Bonny fuses strength with guile. Sharp touches, quick passes, and darting dribbles all feature in his build-up play. His flicked backheel assist against Lecce last season showed a flash of invention and an intuitive sense of where team-mates would be. Serie A strikers with bags of potential but patchy goal records are risky buys. Just ask Manchester United — their £70m punt on Hojlund is yet to bear fruit. But for clubs hunting the next big thing without breaking the bank, Bonny may just be your man. (Header photos: Getty Images)
New York Times
03-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Romeo Lavia: Chelsea's injury-hit, one-time Liverpool target who could be crucial for run-in
Enzo Maresca made it clear after Chelsea's 1-0 win over Everton that he sees two very different versions of his team: the one with Romeo Lavia in it and the one without. 'When he is fit, he is one of the best midfielders (in the world),' Maresca said of Lavia in his post-match press conference. 'He can defend very well, he can attack, he can break the line (with the ball) and pass between the lines.' Advertisement Unfortunately for Maresca, Chelsea have been without Lavia much more than they have been able to call upon him in his second season at Stamford Bridge, after a debut campaign that was wrecked by injuries. Saturday against Everton was only his 12th appearance in the Premier League in 2024-25, nine of which have been starts. Lavia has not yet completed a full 90 minutes since his move from Southampton for a fee of £53million plus £5m in add-ons in August 2023. It would be poetic if he finally achieved that milestone against Liverpool, the team that pursued him for much of that summer window before losing out to Chelsea in the battle for his signature. Liverpool had identified Lavia as a potential solution to their hole in the base of midfield created by Fabinho's drastic decline. Even as a 19-year-old, his composure and technical polish on the ball in a struggling Southampton team had marked him out as the kind of press-resistant No 6 that every modern elite team wants. Lavia has shown glimpses of those qualities and has demonstrated his value even in relatively limited outings this season. Chelsea are actually losing slightly more often during his Premier League minutes on the pitch (nine goals scored, 10 conceded), but some context is required: Maresca underlined his high opinion of the Belgian by pushing him into his starting XI for big matches against Manchester City, Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal, often when short of his peak sharpness and rhythm. The only two Premier League matches Lavia started in December were a 3-0 dismantling of Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge and a thrilling 4-3 fightback away at bitter rivals Tottenham — two victories that rank as arguably Chelsea's two most impressive performances of the season. He distinguished himself in both. Early in the first half against Villa, one sequence demonstrated the two most outstanding aspects of Lavia's game: his ability to receive and retain the ball under pressure, and his talent for identifying and playing line-breaking passes that give his team an advantage. In the 11th minute, he took possession of the ball in his own defensive third, held off Jaden Philogene as he dribbled diagonally upfield, then threaded a perfect pass through a small gap between two Villa midfielders into the feet of an unmarked Cole Palmer in the right half-space: Any statistical analysis of Lavia suffers from the small-sample-size problem, but these progressive passes already mark him out. According to SkillCorner, whose tracking data uses an AI model to identify defensive structures and passes that go through them, Lavia is one of only seven midfielders with 500 or more minutes in the Premier League this season to average 4.7 or more line-breaking passes per 90 minutes. Advertisement To put that in Chelsea context, Moises Caicedo ranks 10th with an average of 4.4 line-breaking passes per 90 minutes, while Enzo Fernandez ranks 15th with 4.1 per 90 minutes. Not all line-breaking passes are created equal. Fernandez's passes have broken the last line of opposition defence 18 times this season; only Cole Palmer (19) has done so more often. Lavia's speciality (illustrated in the graphic below) is playing passes through an opponent's midfield line, most often into Chelsea team-mates operating in the left and right half-spaces: Those passes are very unlikely to result in direct assists, but they are crucial for the attacking success of Maresca's system, which relies in no small part on consistently getting the ball to the players in those half-spaces — chiefly Palmer — with time and space to make good decisions in the final third of the pitch. Lavia is the best player Chelsea have at playing these particular passes, and he is just as capable of playing them through opponents who sit deep as those who press high. Here he is against a conservative Everton, receiving a seemingly innocuous square pass from Caicedo, quickly swivelling his body and rattling the ball between three opponents into Fernandez: Tottenham's aggressive press in December gave Lavia even more opportunities to carve open their midfield line and he did so repeatedly, despite only playing the first half. The most impressive one might have been this sequence shortly before the interval: receiving a pass from Benoit Badiashile under pressure from Dejan Kulusevski and angling a first-time pass forward to Palmer through a gap that did not appear to exist: Lavia has a sharp understanding with Palmer, no doubt grounded in their shared history at Manchester City's academy. Midway through the first half against Tottenham, they worked in tandem to torment Pape Matar Sarr: Palmer drifting slightly to his left to lure the Senegal international into leaning one way, then darting to his right as Lavia hits a perfectly timed and weighted pass into the space behind Spurs' midfield… Maresca believes a Caicedo-Lavia base gives his midfield the best balance, explaining in November that he values their physicality and strength in the middle of the pitch. Initially, his desire to field both relegated Fernandez to the substitutes' bench. More recently, Caicedo has started as the nominal right-back and inverted into midfield alongside the Belgian whenever Chelsea have the ball, with Fernandez moving up into the left half-space. Advertisement Lavia is more impactful defensively than Fernandez. His aggression in the tackle makes him well-suited to a team that seeks to recover the ball in the opposition half. Here he is against Villa simply beating Boubacar Kamara to a 50-50 ball and timing a slide that doubles as a forward pass to Nicolas Jackson: On the stroke of half-time against Spurs, he anticipated Son Heung-min's pass infield towards Sarr, took the ball, drove forward and played a quick pass up to Jackson: But there is a reason why Maresca sees Lavia as an ideal partner for Caicedo, rather than as a viable alternative to the Ecuador international. He is more active than aware defensively, and as the deepest midfielder, his occasional lapses are more likely to be damaging to the team. The most memorable example came in Chelsea's 2-1 away win over Leicester City in November. Introduced in place of Caicedo in the 81st minute, Lavia realised too late that he needed to be the one to defend Bobby De Cordova-Reid, with Levi Colwill drawn right to track the run of Victor Kristiansen. Stephy Mavididi clipped the ball into the box for De Cordova-Reid and Lavia, caught the wrong side, brought him down to concede a penalty: Tottenham also stretched Lavia defensively in the first half in December. In the 24th minute, Son initiated a one-two with Dominic Solanke and sprinted beyond Caicedo into the left channel. Solanke became Lavia's responsibility, but the Belgian allowed the Cobham graduate to get away from him. Son elected to shoot himself and nearly scored, but if he had squared the ball to Solanke the result would have been an even better chance: That sequence highlighted some of the broader risks with Maresca's preferred midfield alignment. Caicedo is not a natural right-back and can be vulnerable to faster wingers, particularly without the injured Wesley Fofana around to defend the large space created by his inverting runs. Going with Reece James in that role instead may strengthen Chelsea defensively at the cost of weakening the midfield, and the recovery runs exert a physical toll. But the potential rewards of picking Lavia are considerable. Advertisement Chelsea are likely to encounter more high-pressure than low-block defences in their daunting Premier League run-in, starting with the visit of Liverpool to Stamford Bridge on Sunday. There are no regrets at Anfield about missing out on Lavia; Arne Slot's midfield has been the best in the country this season and Ryan Gravenberch, in particular, has been moulded into exactly the type of No 6 that Maresca wants Lavia to be in his team. Stronger opposition is never a good thing, but aggressive pressing can widen the Belgian's windows to play those line-breaking passes through the midfield. That should also help Palmer, who is searching for rhythm and has been dropping deeper and deeper to touch the ball in recent weeks. Last but not least, Lavia's progressive passing talents make Marescaball much more watchable for supporters — as long as his body holds up.
New York Times
13-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Viktor Gyokeres, Liam Delap and Man United's search for the ideal Ruben Amorim striker
The January window has not long closed but for many connected to Manchester United, thoughts are already turning to the summer because of one position in particular: centre-forward. Figuring out how to get goals into the team will be Ruben Amorim's major task ahead of next season and while, as United's head coach says, improved confidence may lead to better form for Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, the sight of Kobbie Mainoo up front against Crystal Palace suggests another answer lies in the transfer market. Advertisement Amorim's ideal striker for his system, as communicated to those in the industry, is one who runs in behind repeatedly, and inevitably there is speculation around a reunion with Viktor Gyokeres, who is expected to leave Sporting CP after this campaign. Gyokeres fired Amorim's Lisbon side to the title last season, and his profile using data from SkillCorner shows how he moved in that role leading the line. Nearly half his runs (44 per cent) were in behind, attacking space beyond the last line of defence. It is interesting to note how similar the Gyokeres illustration is to Hojlund's — not only for the frequency of their runs in behind but also in how rarely they drop deep, as shown by the low ratio of runs ahead of the ball, which usually occurs when the defence is building up from their own area and the centre-forward starts moving upfield having got back to help defend. Both Gyokeres and Hojlund also seem to do a lot of walking to save energy for the big sprints. The likeness is an indication that if Amorim can unlock Hojlund's potential, he could have a centre-forward primed for his system. Gyokeres has scored 77 goals in 85 games for Sporting since moving from Coventry City in 2023 in a deal worth €24million (£20m, $25m). His release clause is set at €100m but it is anticipated Sporting are open to selling at €70m. However, it is considered unlikely that Gyokeres follows Amorim to Old Trafford. The Swedish international wants to join a Champions League team and while that is possible for United through winning the Europa League, other more appealing propositions are expected to enter the bidding. Conversely, United would be reluctant to commit that type of money to a player who will turn 27 in June. The club's strategy is to invest in younger signings. At 21 years old, Benjamin Sesko fits that profile, and United have consistently tracked him since having the opportunity to sign him from Slovenian side Domzale for €2million in 2018. United held talks over Sesko in Erik ten Hag's first summer in 2022, but he did not feel ready to take on the mantle at Old Trafford, and they tried again last year, only for him to sign a new contract at RB Leipzig. GO DEEPER Why Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, Newcastle and more want Benjamin Sesko His style of play appears to suit Amorim. Sesko makes as many runs in behind as he does ahead of the ball, 27 per cent each. He comes short more often than Gyokeres at 12 per cent to four per cent — that is running towards the player in possession. Sesko's anticipated fee, and Arsenal's interest, would be a complicating factor for United, who are in the process of making more redundancies among staff at the club, potentially as many as 200. The football department is expected to be hit, an area former sporting director Dan Ashworth was reluctant to cut, bringing him into dispute with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Advertisement United do have more flexibility on financial regulations due to shedding the £115.5million loss from 2021-22 in the next three-year cycle but have stated on record they are 'in danger of failing to comply with PSR (profit and sustainability rules) /FFP (Financial Fair Play) requirements' due to consistently being in the red. United's transfer spending last summer was only made possible by a £200m drawdown on their revolving credit facility, while the club still owe a net figure of £319m in transfer fee instalments. Whatever plans are enacted on cost-cutting, the main reason for United's heavy losses is excessive spending on players. GO DEEPER Man United admit financial losses put club at risk of PSR breach In that light, a more plausible target is Liam Delap, who is likely to come under further discussion at United after his breakout season for Ipswich Town. Aged 22, he has scored nine goals and assisted two in 23 Premier League matches, often showing the type of aggressive running and presence Amorim wants in a centre-forward. United have been tracking the player this season, and he is well-known to technical director Jason Wilcox, who was academy director at Manchester City when Delap joined from Derby County in 2019. Ipswich are aware of the realities of the situation for a player interesting several clubs further up the food chain, but would demand a significant fee for him in the event of top-flight survival — a level of money United might struggle to afford. It is expected Delap's price will come down should Ipswich get relegated, moving more into United's range, but they would face serious competition from Chelsea, who have expressed their interest to Ipswich. It can be revealed City inserted a £40million buyback clause in the deal taking Delap to Portman Road for a potential £20m last summer, so that could be a factor, or a gauge of fee, in the anticipated pursuit of his signature. The data on Delap's style of play shows most of his running, a third, is done ahead of the ball, but he also runs in behind a quarter of the time. There are caveats to these numbers regarding team approach, shape and quality. So playing in a side with more possession, he might be able to run in behind more often. United have also scouted Bryan Mbeumo, the most recent time being for Brentford's game against Tottenham Hotspur on February 2. Mbeumo, 25, is having the most productive campaign of his career, scoring 14 goals in 24 Premier League games, and will have one year left on his contract in June, although Brentford have the option to extend to 2027. It is felt with the security of those two years remaining on his deal, Brentford would look for a club-record sale. Most of Mbeumo's minutes have come at right wing, though, with centre-forward starts on five occasions. He has scored on four of those, against Tottenham, West Ham United, Arsenal and Chelsea, but typically playing alongside a strike partner rather than solo. Harry Kane was on the market in 2023, and ranked as Ten Hag's first-choice striker signing. But United never entered talks with Tottenham and Bayern Munich were able to complete a deal worth €100million. But included in that agreement was a release clause mechanism enabling Kane to leave for set values which decrease over time. It is believed the buyout can be activated in summer or winter windows, and would represent an opportunity for United to recruit a guarantee of goals, should the player be open to a move. GO DEEPER Premier League clubs would love to bring Harry Kane back to England. He'd be mad to indulge them Kane is very happy and settled in Germany, where he has scored 73 goals and registered 22 assists in 74 games in all competitions. He is in contention to win the Bundesliga and make another deep run in the Champions League, having reached the semi-finals last season. Kane, 31, would only depart Bayern for a Champions League team, and his focus currently is on winning trophies in Bavaria. Advertisement In any case, it would be a major about-turn for United under this regime to go for a player in that age bracket. For instance, there were never any meaningful talks over Ivan Toney last summer, despite his availability and his name being discussed internally. Toney, 28, moved to Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli for €40million. Kane scored at Celtic Park on Wednesday, his seventh in the Champions League this season, behind Borussia Dortmun's Serhou Guirassy, who is the competition's leading scorer with 10. Guirassy was an option for United in January 2024, but the club decided a €17.5million release clause was too much for a 27-year-old who had not hit such form before in his career. Dortmund triggered his exit from Stuttgart last summer and he has since hit 19 goals in 28 games overall. The life of a striker is rarely steady. Evan Ferguson's loan move from Brighton & Hove Albion to West Ham is a case of a 20-year-old player looking for a fresh setting to reignite his major talent. A player United have tracked, he did not come up in talks this January. Given United's financial position, there might be a temptation to look at the free agency market, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 27, and Jamie Vardy, 38, both out of contract in the summer. That, though, would go against the plan for youth. Age did not seem to matter during Sporting's first title triumph under Amorim. The striking duties were largely shared by Tiago Tomas, 19 at the time, and Paulinho, who was 28. Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface, 24 (who ranks as a 94.6 per cent playing likeness to Gyokeres based on analysis run by The Athletic), Victor Osimhen, 26 and on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli (86.7 per cent), and Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic, 25, could all be on the move this summer, but expected fees and salaries do not appear to correlate with United's means. Advertisement So Amorim may need to work with what he has, and he is hoping pre-season allows time to establish the kind of on-pitch connections and personal bonds that are necessary. Zirkzee is not really his type of centre-forward, as he has already said and is shown by his SkillCorner graphic, which illustrates he makes only 14 per cent of his runs in behind. Hojlund does have that attribute but he can become disheartened in making repeat runs when passes fail to reach him. Zirkzee offers an alternative, though, depending on the opponent, and has linked play well at times. In the academy, Chido Obi is a quintessential striker and stands out at youth level. He scored a hat-trick in the 5-1 FA Youth Cup against Chelsea on Wednesday to take his campaign total to 12 goals in 12 games after signing from Arsenal. He has trained with the first team on a couple of occasions under Amorim, usually during recovery days, but he is 17 and regarded as having areas of his game to improve before joining the senior squad more regularly. (Top photos: Getty Images)
New York Times
12-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How PSG started using Ousmane Dembele as a No 9 and unlocked the form of his life
Goalscoring is an art that cannot be taught but, as Ousmane Dembele is showing, it can be learned. He scored Paris Saint-Germain's second and third goals in a 3-0 victory away at Brest, giving them a commanding lead in their Champions League play-off tie before the return leg next Wednesday. He is Ligue 1's top scorer (16 goals, only one of them a penalty) and, with 23 goals in all competitions, he has nearly quadrupled last season's tally (six). Normandy-born Dembele took time to settle at PSG. After arriving for €50million (£42m; $52m at current rates) in the summer of 2023 from Barcelona, where he scored 40 goals in five seasons, he needed 16 matches to register his first at PSG. This is a player who had a reputation for two-footedness and dazzling dribbles but an underwhelming lack of end product. Advertisement Now, in the purplest of patches, Dembele is on an eight-game scoring run and has already scored more goals in 2025 (15) than in 2024 (13). Last month, he became the first PSG player to score hat-tricks in back-to-back competitive matches — away matches against Stuttgart in the Champions League and Brest in Ligue 1. His ruthless streak is illustrated in his Ligue 1 shot map below. In this form, Dembele looks like an upgrade on Kylian Mbappe, let alone a replacement for the forward who joined Real Madrid in the summer and left a 44-goal hole in attack. Luis Enrique's switch of Dembele from the right wing to centre-forward — he played him as a central attacking midfielder, behind Mbappe, a few times late last season — has him and PSG firing. The tweak has simplified Dembele's game. Last season (Dembele and Luis Enrique's first at PSG), had plenty of tactical teething problems, particularly trying to build a high-pressing and possession side around Mbappe. The partnership between Dembele and right-back Achraf Hakimi was important. Hakimi pushed forward into the half-space to create a 3-2-5 for PSG in possession, obliging Dembele to stay wide as a ball carrier and a supply line. 'We all know his qualities on the wing and now we are discovering his qualities in the middle,' Luis Enrique told reporters before facing Brest in the Champions League. Now, those dribbling responsibilities are reduced and he can attack the crosses and cutbacks rather than deliver them. According to SkillCorner, the proportion of his runs that are in behind the opposition defence or ahead of the ball is unchanged (40 per cent), but his share of runs receiving crosses has doubled from last term (from one in 10 to one in five). Here he is between Brest's centre-backs in the build-up to the penalty for PSG's opener. Joao Neves hits a switch to Hakimi, out on the touchline. Right-winger Desire Doue runs inside Brest left-back Massadio Haidara and onto Hakimi's slipped pass. Here, Dembele hangs outside the penalty area when Doue crosses, but PSG's counter-pressing shines. Within two seconds, Hakimi wins the ball back after Pierre Lees-Melou tries to pass out of pressure. Neat interplay follows and the ball drops to Dembele twice. The first time he cannot get a shot off. Then, when Neves' shot is parried back to him by Marco Bizot, he squares it to Dembele, who is crowded by five defenders. He squeezes a shot through and it hits Lees-Melou's outstretched hand. Vitinha converts the subsequent penalty. PSG's second, and Dembele's first, is a stylish counter-attacking move: seven passes in 20 seconds, from a regain deep down the left to Dembele firing in from the right side of the penalty area. Neves, Bradley Barcola and Nuno Mendes combine by the touchline to evade Brest's counter-press. The key pass is another Neves switch out to Hakimi. Dembele, once more, is positioned on the centre-backs, and immediately runs wide to support. Hakimi gives it straight to Dembele, and they create a two-v-one against Haidara. Dembele uses Hakimi's overlap as a decoy, and cuts inside but reverses the shot to Bizot's near-post. It's a finish variation that Mbappe added to his game at PSG, after the far-post curler — as it was for Dembele earlier this campaign — became too predictable and defendable. The third was another example of the Barcola and Dembele connection, and PSG's attacking-up rotations. 'They're difficult to read because Luis Enrique likes to change players' positions. It's his ambition to make the team unreadable,' said Brest head coach Eric Roy pre-match. Here, Fabian Ruiz moved from midfield to make a back three and full-back Mendes went high to hold the width. Doue, on the left wing, came deeper and Barcola played as the No 9 with Dembele out wide. Vitinha switched play to Hakimi, who set it back for PSG's talisman. So much of the Barcola and Dembele relationship has been about the former's runs in behind and low crosses for the latter to score at the back post. This time, Dembele dribbled inside and passed to Barcola with the defence still to beat. As is typical with in-form strikers, the margins went his way. When Haidara tried to tackle after a heavy Barcola touch, he poked the ball onto the forward and it looped up for Dembele to run onto. His first touch took him between Brest's centre-backs and the second was a composed finish past Bizot. He's at it again 🤩Ousmane Dembélé breaks through the Brest defence again to get his second, PSG's third, to put this game beyond doubt ⚽️ 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 11, 2025 Dembele had the second-fewest touches of any PSG starting outfielder (50, behind Barcola's 29), but the most shots (seven) and touches in the opposition box (nine). His frequency of shots is up to over five per 90 minutes for the first time in his career (see below), while his passes have decreased. Dembele's form owes to PSG's collective improvements too. The arrivals of Barcola and Neves have made them more vertical, adding through balls and switches to an attack that was slower last season. Having a younger squad suits an aggressive pressing style, while Mendes is maturing at left-back, meaning PSG have attacking full-back threats on both sides. Advertisement 'I would also like to highlight all the good work done by the players around Ousmane,' said Luis Enrique this week. Nine different team-mates have assisted him this season, with Barcola (four) the most frequent. Their recruitment of technicians and young, tactically mouldable players works better for Luis Enrique's 'philosophy'. PSG's front three play interchangeably. They had a third goal ruled out at the start of the second half, when they played around the Brest press and Dembele (out on the left wing) angled a pass in behind for Barcola (in a striker's position). He turned out to be offside, but raced through and squared it for a Doue tap-in. The PSG head coach has described himself as 'someone who defends the most technical players like Dembele'. He cut him from a Champions League squad in September for disciplinary reasons, but played down the necessity of Dembele filling the Mbappe hole: 'We're not looking for a goalscorer, because if you put the pressure on Dembele and then he doesn't score the goals you want him to score, we'll start with the problems,' he said. Instead, Dembele has stepped up, much like Wayne Rooney and Karim Benzema did for Manchester United and Real Madrid after Cristiano Ronaldo left those clubs. Julian Stephan, the former Rennes head coach who worked with Dembele in his academy days, once said, 'If he was a better finisher, he could have won a Ballon d'Or by now.' That might be hyperbole, but there is every chance Dembele ends this season with his fifth league title and the first golden boot of his career.
