One-season wonder or new Haaland - What next for Real Madrid-linked Serhou Guirassy?
Tom Weber
- Updated: 26 Oct 2023 16:53 BST
- 4 min read
Serhou Guirassy is the talk of the town, but how sustainable is his incredible form and will he join a European giant in 2024?
VfB Stuttgart have been the Bundesliga's surprise package this season. Relegation battlers last term, Sebastian Hoeneß's side are now challenging for European places and some fans may even dare to dream of an unlikely title charge.
The biggest reason behind the German side's stunning success has been Serhou Guirassy. The Guinean striker's initial loan was made permanent in the summer after impressing last term and Stuttgart haven't looked back since. With 15 goals and two assists in nine games, Guirassy is Europe's deadliest finisher and a sought-after commodity.
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Already in the summer, there had been rumours about a possible departure because of a release clause, but the 27-year-old decided to stay despite Premier League interest. In January, another clause will become active that will only require a fee of €17.5 million to be triggered, meaning that clubs outside of the Bundesliga are licking their lips.
Guirassy to make a big move?
Unsurprisingly, many suitors as diverse as Fulham and Real Madrid have been linked with the goal machine. Reports in Germany indicate that the Guinean has no intention to depart in January, but even if we were to not take those assertions at face value, it is hard to envision Guirassy at a club like Real Madrid.
This has nothing to do with his quality. A former French youth international, the striker has always been highly rated. Moreover, the kind of goals Guirassy scores - rather than the volume - make it clear that his regular output is sustainable, albeit not at the ridiculous current rate.
The worry about the 27-year-old is, however, that it has rarely come together for him like it has since arriving in Stuttgart. While he has now hit 10+ league goals in both of his seasons with the Bundesliga side, he only managed that feat once at one of his previous clubs.
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Repeated injury issues and other problems hampered him in the past and there is a worry that we are already seeing this again. Guirassy tweaked his hamstring against Union Berlin - after scoring, of course - and is currently out of action for a few weeks.
His injury record, age and previous struggles mean that a club of the stature of Real Madrid would be best advised to think twice about signing him. It is much more realistic that a club like Fulham will take a punt on him.
Indeed, according to data experts SciSports, the Cottagers are one of the clubs best suited for Serhou Guirassy seeing as though they lack a reliable striker after the departure of Aleksandar Mitrovic.
