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Jordan Ayew
Shops have started to sell Christmas confectionery, people have begun counting down the days until they get to open their presents; this can mean only one thing – the transfer window will soon be open once again. This of course means the stories linking players with January moves have started to wheel themselves out.
One player that has been heavily linked with a move of late is Marseille forward Jordan Ayew. The 22-year-old is on the fringes of the first team and Elie Baup feels that he needs more playing time if he is to flourish into half the player his Dad, Abedi Pele, was back in the early 90s. This week he was linked with a loan move to both Everton and Stoke City, it’s easy to see how Marseille would benefit from a move, but what exactly would the English clubs get in return… well not a lot if I’m totally honest.
When older brother André Ayew burst on the scene a few years ago, Jordan was playing for Marseille’s youth teams, and the reports were that Jordan was perhaps the more talented of the Ghanaian brothers. When André returned from loan spells at Lorient and Arles-Avignon and immediately found himself in the first team, excitement levels surrounding his brother Jordan began to build. Now in his fifth season as part of the first team, looking back, much of that hype was perhaps misplaced. It just hasn’t really worked him. Just short of 100 appearances for les Phocéens and he only has 13 goals. The only thing on his side is age, allowing him plenty of time to develop.
Jordan Ayew’s performance so far in 2013/14He is capable of playing all along the front line, comfortable on the left or right, but most suited playing as the central striker. When Andre-Pierre Gignac was injured last season Ayew managed to make 35 appearances with 19 starts and contributed 7 goals. His problem is he doesn’t really have any one facet to his game which stands out. He’s fast, but not lightning quick. He can finish, but not nearly as accurately for a top striker and he’s not tall enough, or physically strong enough to be a target man. In eight appearances this season he has only managed six shots on goal, three of them on target and let’s just say the goalkeepers weren’t exactly scrambling to make dramatic saves.
Where Jordan does impress is with the ball at his feet. Happy with ball in front of him, running at defenders, he is also able to play with his back to goal, displaying the ability to bring people into the attack. Capable with both his left and his right, every so often you can see why Marseille has persevered with him. Then he’ll come on as a sub and pick up two yellow cards in less than two minutes and you can see he clearly has a lot to learn.
This season his Squawka Performance Score of -9 says it all really. Even his attacking score of 10.66 doesn’t fill you with confidence. Yes he scored against Arsenal in the Champions League, but it was from a penalty won by his brother, it’s still unclear why he was even allowed to take it.
If Marseille want him to play games in order to forge a future at the club there seems no logic in a move to Stoke. The style of football is against any skill Jordan possesses. It’s cliché but he’s only won 26% of his headed duels this season. Having played two games less Stoke have contested 75 more duels in the air than Marseille have this season. Regardless of any change in style that Mark Hughes has tried to install it is still miles away from the football played at the Stade Velodrome.
Everton makes a little more sense to a certain degree but with Nikica Jelavic, Arouna Kone, Gerard Deulofeu, Steven Naismith and of course Romelu Lukaku already fighting for places in the Everton attack it doesn’t seem likely that Ayew will gain any more playing time in the north-west than he will in the south of France. There is no doubt that time under Roberto Martinez could certainly help young Jordan and the Premier League experience would toughen him up. It’s just not clear that either side would actually gain anything from the 22-year-old.
