World Soccer - UK (2021-10)

Credit:Instagram@odilonkossounou

EUROPALEAGUE2021- 22

Europa League

players to watch

NickBidwellpicksoutthestarsthatcould

lightupthisseason’sEuropaLeaguecampaign

Patson

DAKA

LEICESTERCITY

Themuch-laudedZambiastriker,

recently-arrivedfromSalzburg,

wasabsolutelycorrectwhenhe

oncesaidthathehadtwodistinct

personalities:quiet,thoughtful

andhumble offthepitch,while

breathingfireandbrimstonein

theheatof thebattle.Still only22,

heispacy, energetic,industrious

andsharpintheredzone,as

provenbythe 3 4 goalsherattled

homeinallcompslast season.

CitesLuisSuarez,Kylian

Mbappeandnew team-mate

JamieVardy as hisrolemodels.

Benefitsfromtheadviceofagent

FredericKanoute,oncea great

Africangoal-getterhimself.

Lucas

PAQUETA

LYON

Aftea difficult 18 monthswith

Mian, theversatie Braziian

attacking midfielder impoved

weekonweekwithOLast term,

suppyingboththe styleand the

numbers (ninegoas andsix assists

inLigue1).Technically as smooth

assilk, thefomer Flamengo sta

rounded offanexcellent1 2

monthswitha prominentole in

Brazil’ssilvermedal at the 2021

CopaAmerica.New Lyon coach

PeteBoszhas theconundrum

ofwhee to play him: as adeep

directorofmanoeuves, in box-

to-boxmode, in theNo. 10 slot

orasaninvertedwinger.

Odilon

KOSSOUNOU

BAYERLEVERKUSEN

SimonRolfes,inchargeof

recruitmentat Leverkusen,certainly

pulledoffacoupthissummerin

persuadingthe IvoryCoastcentre-

backtoquitBelgianchampionsClub

BruggefortheBayArenaina€23m

deal.Kossonou, 2 0,reportedlyhada

longlist of suitors,includingthe two

Milan giants,Wolves,Arsenal,aswell

asPep GuardiolaatManchester City.

Sohatsoff to Rolfesforgettingtothe

front of thequeue.Athletic,powerful

anduseful on theball,the youngster

isalsoable to performtoa good

standardatright-backoras

a holdingmidfielder.

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