It takes a very self-confident and extremely well-rounded centre-forward – like the one linked with a move to Premier League outfit West Ham United this week – to describe himself as a mix of Lois Openda and Romelu Lukaku.
Openda and Lukaku are, after all, pretty much polar opposites of the number nine spectrum.
RB Leipzig hitman Openda is one of the fastest strikers around. A man who excels when running off the shoulders of opposition defenders, like a peak-era Jamie Vardy after a particularly caffeine-fuelled pre-match refreshment.
Romelu Lukaku, in contrast, accumulated silverware with Manchester United, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli while putting his burly physique and formidable back-to-goal presence to extremely good use.
If a fleet of world-leading scientists were to combine Openda’s raw pace with Lukaku’s broad-shouldered brawn, and add a ruthless end product for good measure, then the end result would be one of the most fearsome centre-forwards in European football.
St Etienne talisman Lucas Stassin – still only 20 years of age – has a long way to go before he can be described in such terms of course.
But, while a spokesman for the West Ham United board plays down reports suggesting Lucas Stassin could swap Ligue 1 for the London Stadium, it is tempting to wonder if this is an opportunity the Hammers will live to regret.
Especially if the Belgium Under-21 international develops into a striker worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as two fellow Red Devils.
West Ham United-linked Lucas Stassin a mix of Romelu Lukaku and Lois Openda
Speaking to Belgian publication Le Soir back in November, Stassin opened up on his admiration for two strikers he could one day be competing with to be his nation’s first-choice striker.
“Romelu Lukaku and Lois Openda inspire me,” he said.
“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.”
Stassin scored 12 goals and provided four assists during 23 Ligue 1 starts last season. Two of those came when the youngster inspired St Etienne to a famous win over bitter rivals Lyon in the spring.
Yet, that eye-catching return of a goal every other start was still not enough to save Les Verts from relegation. A
s such, while claims from L’Equipe that West Ham have entered detailed discussions with St Etienne appear wide of the mark, Stassin is almost certain to be on the move.
Wolves, RB Leipzig, Rennes, Marseille and Lille are reportedly interested. As are as a Sporting CP outfit expected to lose Viktor Gyokeres following a scarcely-believable tally of 95 goals in two seasons from the former Coventry City talisman.
Stassin looks the perfect foil for Hammers captain Jarrod Bowen
A rangy figure at 6ft, Stassin certainly lives up to that ‘good touch for a big man’ trope. He loves drawing defenders in and then jinking away from them with a quick shake of the hips.
A £7.5 million signing from KVC Westerlo in his homeland, Stassin also excels when dropping deep and threading passes in behind for his teammates to run onto.
It is not difficult to imagine Stassin striking up a fine understanding with Jarrod Bowen, for instance, in a claret and blue shirt. Especially considering he appears to possess so many of the attributes West Ham are lacking in the centre-forward department.
“Lucas Stassin is a mix between a number nine and a number ten. He’s a hybrid. He combines qualities,” explains St Etienne coach Eirik Horneland. “He’s not a centre-forward who can physically put pressure on two central defenders, but he’s a player who works hard and develops good chemistry with [his teammates].
“France has very good defenders who often sign for the Premier League. For strikers, it’s not a piece of cake to play in France [but] Lucas has developed a connection and found his niche. He comes off the frontline, drops deep, and plays in different positions up front.
“With his current playing time and the series of games, he’s going to get stronger and stronger and reach his full potential.”
However, when contacted by Hammers News, a spokesman for the club’s owners explained that suggestions of talks taking place with St Etienne are false.
Though maybe this is an opportunity West Ham will give greater consideration to later in the window, particularly if the strikers higher up on their shopping list are snatched off the shelves.
Jonathan Burkardt is expected to join Eintracht Frankfurt. Yuri Alberto appears likely to stay at Corinthians. Another Ligue 1 hotshot appears set for Stamford Bridge, meanwhile, with Chelsea closing in on Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha.
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