5 of this season's biggest breakout stars 

Messi has continued to lead from the front
Messi has continued to lead from the front

#3 Nicolas Pépé (Lille OSC & Ivory Coast)

Ad
Pépé has arguably been the best player in Ligue 1 this season
Pépé has arguably been the best player in Ligue 1 this season

Much has been expected of the talented left winger since he came unto the scene for SCO Angers a couple of years ago. Slowly but surely, he has continued to mature and improve and currently looks a steal for Lille at just £10m.

Ad

Comparing anyone with Messi would be doing a great disservice to the other player. However, the 23-year-old has shown many Messi-like qualities already this season for Les Dogues (The Great Danes).

His participation in build-up play, passing, scoring and finishing have been on a higher level than many a senior winger across Europe this term. Playing on the right in Lille's 4-3-3 formation has helped Pépé make good use of his searing pace, quick feet, and amazing dribbling to constantly evade challenges.

Screamers, tap-ins, freekicks, penalties are just some of the goals he has gotten; 16 goals and 8 assists in 25 Ligue 1 games tell the story better.

Quick Links

Edited by Sripad
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications