Ligue 1’s freshest wonderkid Loïs Openda
It is fair to say that Ligue 1’s talent factory has produced yet another gem. Loïs Openda, a 23-year-old Belgian striker, playing for RC Lens has had an amazing season and has played a big part in helping Lens reach their first-ever UCL qualification.
The story of Lens
The tale of Lens is fascinating. The French side only got promoted 4 years ago, and now they are giving the financial powerhouse of the league, PSG, a run for their money by making sure they don’t get comfortable in the title rice. Lens are currently sitting 2nd in Ligue 1, 2 points ahead of Marseille. It is fair to say it has been one of the best if not the best, season in Lens’ history.
Loïs Openda
In his first season at Vitesse in 20/21, he played 38 games in all competitions, scoring 13 times, with 5 assists as well. That was his breakout season where he got implemented into first-team football.
The season after that, Loïs Openda netted 24 times and got 6 assists in 50 games. He managed to reach 18 goals in Eredivise, finishing just behind Haller in the golden boot race.
The 22- year old Belgian has netted 19 times so far in Ligue 1, and has 3 assists on top of that. That makes it 22 g/a in the league this season, which makes him one of the best players in the division contributions, so it is fair to say that Loïs has been a fundamental part of Lens’ fairytale.
Strenghts
Loïs is not a target man, neither is he an out-and-out poacher. He’s more of a “modern striker”, who can dribble well and often drops into the midfield to receive the ball. In addition, Openda can also operate fairly well on both wings due to his good dribbling ability
Loïs Openda is an incredibly technical striker. In terms of progressive carries, progressive passes recovered, and touches in the opposition’s penalty box, he ranks in the 85th percentile. On top of that, he is very good at creating chances for himself with his top athletic ability, positioning, and movement in the opposition’s penalty box. Openda averages 3.75 shots per game, which ranks him in the 92nd percentile! With Openda’s already decent finishing, these shots are often translated into goals.
Weaknesses
Openda’s main weakness is that he’s still quite raw, which is completely normal for a young forward like him. At times, he might make wrong decisions and be quite frustrating, but with the right coaching, it won’t be a problem for long.
Openda’s potential future
If I were him, I would stay at Lens for one more year and maybe look to join a team in the Premier League or Bundesliga. Bundesliga would definitely suit Loïs because it is a league full of high lines with lots of space to exploit, which would be perfect for someone like Loïs. Perhaps he could join someone like Dortmund, Leverkusen or Leipzig in the near future.
There’s reportedly already a lot of interest in him, with Arsenal, AC Milan and Wolves all chasing after his signature.
Conclusion
Loïs Openda is definitely someone to keep an eye on in the next few years. With the right coaching, he could be the heir to Lukaku’s throne.
Where do you think Openda should go? What would you do if you were him? Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments!
