As France and Spain played out one of the standout matches of 2025 on Thursday night, West Ham United could yet end up with a forward worthy of being mentioned alongside Desire Doue and Lamine Yamal as one of the brightest young talents on the continent.
On a night when Spain flexed their fearsome attacking muscles and Barcelona whizzkid Yamal enhanced his claim to be labelled the world’s best footballer – not merely a few years down the line but right here, right now – the Hammers’ pursuit of a new number nine may soon take them in the direction of a 20-year-old sensation who exploded onto the scene since the turn of the year.
Yamal’s brace fired Spain into the UEFA Nations League final meeting with Portugal. His two goals ensuring that Luigi de la Fuente’s reigning European Champions would triumph 5-4 on a quite extraordinary evening.
But if Yamal is the greatest Under-21 talent in the game at present – he comfortably outshone France and PSG sensation Desire Doue during that staggering nine-goal extraordinaire – who deserves to be named the greatest striker under the age of 21 at present?
Well, as West Ham United reportedly add Lucas Stassin to their summer wishlist – and as the Hammers supporters fall head over heels for the St Etienne hitman – he clearly passes both the eye-test and the stats challenge with flying colours.
West Ham United target Lucas Stassin labelled Europe’s best U21 striker
While scoring 12 goals in 23 Ligue 1 starts last season – a tally which looks even more impressive when St Etienne’s eventual relegation is factored in – Stassin also finished top of the pile among all Under-21 strikers for goals per game [0.54], shots on target [58.97 per cent], conversion rate [39.77 per cent] and while outperforming his XG metric.
It remains to be seen whether such figures are sustainable, of course.
But on the evidence of the 2024/25 season alone – Stassin is more than worthy of a place in the Rising Stars Under-21 Team of the Season.
A social media page which specialises in highlighting the best young talents in world football, Rising Stars pick Stassin as the man to lead the line in a hypothetical attack also containing Lamine Yamal, Desire Doue and Lyon’s Manchester City-bound Rayan Cherki.
‘A mix between a number nine and a number ten’, to quote his St Etienne coach Eirik Horneland, Stassin is not only a lethal finisher inside the penalty area. The former KCV Westerlo starlet loves to drift off the frontline and allow his teammates to make runs in behind.
A man with his excellent back-to-goal play and his fine vision could, in theory, prove to be the perfect foil for Jarrod Bowen and whoever lines up on the left-hand side of Graham Potter’s attack in 2025/26.
Stassin has shades of Romelu Lukaku and Lois Openda
Lucas Stassin likens himself to Romelu Lukaku and RB Leipzig talisman Lois Openda. Combining the poacher’s instinct of the former with the speed and movement of the latter.
“Romelu Lukaku and Lois Openda inspire me,” he tells Le Soir.
“They are two different profiles. Lukaku is more of a targetman, a pure goalscorer, while Openda often manages to tire defences thanks to his incessant runs.
“Unlike them, I don’t think I have a specific strong quality. On the other hand, I think my profile is a bit between the two of them.”
Now, a spokesman for West Ham’s board told Hammers News earlier this week that reports claiming talks are underway with Lucas Stassin are false.
Yet, there is still plenty of time for that to change with the window only a week into its annual opening.
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