Analyzing Luka Jović's Rise

If I told you there was a player who’s both the second-top scorer in both an international competition and a domestic league, you’d probably think I was talking about a verifiably world-class, established superstar striker who has been a household name for years.

This player is Luka Jović, a 21-year-old who is both the second highest scorer of the Bundesliga with 17 goals and has the same distinction in the Europa League with a tally of eight.

After moving from Red Star Belgrade to Benfica at a young age, Jović failed to get playing time in the senior team ahead of more proven center forwards such as Jonas and Kostas Mitroglou, and when he did get a chance to earn then manager Rui Vitória’s trust, he ruined an opportunity to start after being caught in a nightclub.

In a ply for more minutes, he left on a two-year loan to Eintracht Frankfurt, with the German club retaining a €7 million option to make the transfer permanent. While he didn’t play much in his first season, he learned a lot under Niko Kovač’s tutelage, and he took advantage of his opportunities this time, averaging a goal every three games.

This season, he’s been a starter under new manager Adi Hütter, attracting interest from several European giants.

Jović largely operates as a second striker, peeling off defenders on the counter, using his pace and dribbling to drag defenders out of position, linking up with target man Sébastien Haller, and using his deadly finishing to make unsuspecting defenses pay.

It's been quite the rise for Jović this season. While Barcelona and Bayern haven't furthered up their interest with any concrete bids,

Real Madrid look likely to fetch the services of the Serbian and meet Eintracht's 60 million asking price. It's only a matter of when, not if, he leaves Germany for a bigger team.