Lille unleashed Eden Hazard on the world. They helped develop Nicolas Pépé and it was while with Les Dogues that Rafael Leão began to deliver on the hype surrounding him. They have struck gold once more.
Despite dropping Leão and Pépé in the summertime, Lille has impressed in Ligue 1 this term. Currently, in fourth place and only seven points behind second-place Marseille, Christophe Galtier’s guys are showing that last year was no fluke. The feeling was this could be a transitional time for the club following a busy summer transfer window. But nine wins from 18 matches indicates differently.
And the star of the show happens to be one of those players signed to fill the emptiness in the attack: Victor Osimhen.
He is also chipped in with four assists to take his entire goal participation tally to 17 from 27 appearances in the French top-flight.
Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur are rumoured to be interested in the forward.
However, what is he about as a participant, and why are so many teams apparently eager to add him to their positions?
His heatmap, shown above, highlights the fact he gets on the ball during the last third. On a per 90 foundation, the 21-year-old is averaging only 29 touches but of these 5.86 are coming from the opposition’s penalty box. For a little more context, 20 percent of his touches are in the region. More impressively, 11 percent of his touches are shots. The child doesn’t need to be intensely involved to be harmful, a trait that will definitely appeal to interested clubs.
His output seems to be sustainable. After initially impressing in Ligue 1, many assumed his form could tail off but the figures indicate there is no reason for this to occur. If anything, his output will probably increase if he is playing alongside greater team-mates.
His shot map is just another reason teams will be watching him carefully. At a young age, players may lack patience and the expertise necessary to create wise decisions on a consistent basis.
Nevertheless, the Lille forward has just a few shots from outside the penalty area this year, showing he is smart enough to know that the likelihood of him scoring raises if he chooses an effort closer to target.
His shot placement map will be even more inviting for interested clubs. Osimhen is not only looking to test the goalkeeper, but he is also trying to hit the corners whenever possible. So far this year, 21 of his shots have been both sides of the middle of the goal and 14 of these have been bottom corner attempts. It is no coincidence that nine of his goals are scored in those regions.
He has passed the Ligue 1 evaluation. To keep progressing, Osimhen should move onto bigger and better things. Linking up with Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes could be a fantastic place to begin and it is going to be a good deal of fun to watch for United fans.
