The Future: Enzo Le Fee
Articles from news sources like 90min.com (fairly reliable for football transfers) have stated that several clubs are intrigued by the development of a 23 year old midfielder at FC Lorient. Liverpool, Real Sociedad, Borussia Dortmund and Fulham are among the clubs interested.
Enzo Le Fee. Who is he, and why is he such a sought after player?
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| (Sofascore) Heatmap for Le Fee this season |
Le Fee is an advanced playmaker, who can operate best as a number 10 (or attacking midfielder)/ a number 8 (or box to box midfielder). As is evident from the heatmap, he is a very hardworking footballer, who makes his presence felt all over the field. His performances have been instrumental to FC Lorient's success in this calender year - they comfortably sit midtable in Ligue 1 after having narrowly avoided relegation in the past two seasons.
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| (Fbref) Stats of Le Fee compared to other midfielders over the last year |
He has the potential to be a fine midfielder, owing to his technical prowess. It's a joy to watch him play, and he nearly doesn't display any subpar attributes at all (other than his inability to win headers).
It is rumoured that FC Lorient would be looking for a deal worth 15 - 30 million euros to let go of Le Fee in the summer.
Dortmund:
With Jude Bellingham almost certainly leaving for Real Madrid next season, 'Die Borussen' will be looking at midfielder options to replace him. Enzo Le Fee is of the same profile as Jude - a workhorse on the pitch, with great vision, anticipation, and ball progression ability. Given that he would be available for a reasonable price too, it seems likely that Dortmund might pursue this signing in the summer window.
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| Jude Bellingham |
Real Sociedad:
With David Silva ageing and Martin Zubimendi looking likely to depart in the summer window, 'La Real' would be eyeing talents to bolster both their offensive and defensive midfield departments. Hence, it comes as no surprise that they are linked with Le Fee, who would fit into their tactical setup (i.e., defensively solid, possession based style of play) like a glove.
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| Martin Zubimendi |
Fulham:
Fulham have done a great job since getting promoted - spearheaded by Alexander Mitrovic and Andreas Pereira, the Cottagers are set for one of the highest league finishes in the club's EPL history (since finishing 7th in the 2008-09 season). Le Fee could prove to be one of the several pieces that Fulham need to put together to bring back European football to the club after so many years.
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| Mitrovic, after scoring a brace against Liverpool in the season opener |
Liverpool:
Saying that Liverpool have a midfield problem would be an understatement. Thiago Alcantara has been injured for nearly half of the games, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have dipped in form, & Arthur Melo's loan spell has been very poor. It's of prime importance that they invest in this department come summer - they cannot depend solely on academy graduates (like Stefan Bajcetic and Curtis Jones). Le Fee's signing could be a smart deal to pursue, especially since they are practically out of the race for Jude Bellingham now.
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| Jurgen Klopp (left), with Thiago (right) |