(Sassuolo)
Chelsea’s predilection for stockpiling
talented youngsters and repeatedly
loaning them out has left many a player
with a severe case of “out of sight, out
of mind”. But at least the Marseille-born
winger seems to have found the antidote
in Serie A with Sassuolo, where he has
emerged as a highly influential figure
this season.
The 23-year-old only appeared in
one first-team game for the London
side – a cameo appearance as a
substitute against Burnley on the
opening day of the 2017-18 season- and had to jump through all the usual
loanee hoops, sent on secondment to
Rennes in France, Spanish side Granada
and Birmingham City in the English
second tier.
Perhaps not surprisingly, none of the
postings especially worked out.
In such a system young players
are very much at risk of ending up on
the missing list. They lose their bearings,
they lose their form and when setbacks
come knocking it’s hard to get back on
track. Only the strong survive and full
credit to Boga for successfully picking
up the pieces since tip-toeing into
Sassuolo in the summer of 2018.
If his inaugural season in Emilia-
Romagna was a truncated affair – he
spent the best part of three months on
the sidelines after a tibia operation – his
sophomore efforts this term have been
the footballing equivalent of a firework
display. Rapid rushes, goals and assists
a gogo, and the sort of mazy dribbling
which almost takes on the form of art.
He says he developed his brilliance inone-on-one situations in never-ending
kickabouts on the streets of his home
town in the south of France.
He is now playing with more maturity,
his decision-making is sharper and he
has added variety to his modus operandi,
combining more mobility and slick one-
twos with the solo dashes. Under the(Bayern Munich)
After failing to live
up to expectations
at Barcelona and
often a sub during
a loan spell with
Bayern this term,
the midfielder
finds himself at a
career crossroads.
He may be
tempted to return
to England, where
he starred for
Liverpool.(Tottenham Hotspur)
In the summer of
2019, following an
excellent season in
the Lyon engine
room, he was
wanted by virtually
everybody. Now it’s
a totally different
story after a poor
first campaign in
England with
Spurs. A fresh start
somewhere new
looks to be the
best option.PHILIPPE COUTINHO TANGUY NDOMBELE
JEREMIE BOGA
MOST WANTED Second Bite at the Cherry
intelligent tutelage of Sassuolo coach
Roberto De Zerbi he is quite clearly
thinking more about his game.
His best moment of the current
season was undoubtedly an exquisite
clipped finish in a 2-2 draw at champions
Juventus in December. “This has to be
one of my best moments with Sassuolo,”Under the intelligent
tutelage of Sassuolo
coach Roberto De Zerbi
he is quite clearly
thinking more about
his game