Wissam Ben Yedder is a French footballer currently playing for Monaco in Ligue 1. He is currently the top goal scorer in the league that boasts the likes of Mbappe, Neymar, and Messi. Monaco faced PSG in their latest match in the Ligue 1. He scored a brace to edge the star-studded side in a 3-0 victory handing PSG their 3rd defeat in 5 league games. Those goals also helped him overtake Mbappe as the leading goal scorer in the league. And for the reasons mentioned, here we will have a better look at who Yedder is.
Yedder burst onto the scenes playing for Toulouse in the Ligue 1 in the 2015/16 season. He scored 17 goals and assisted 5 times to help them avoid relegation with 1 point. The next season, Sevilla FC poached him for a fee of $10.45m. He stayed with them for 3 years, but couldn’t quite get going in the first 2 years. In his final year of stay, he scored 18 goals to go with 9 assists in 31 games. Sevilla narrowly missed out on a Europa League spot for next season. Just like with Toulouse, after having a very good season, they let him go. This time, it was Monaco that profited bagging him for $44m.
Yedder has been very good, to say the least since coming back to Ligue 1 in 2019. In his first season, he bagged 18 goals and 4 assists in 26 games. The next season, he scored 20 goals and assisted 7 others in 37 games. This season, he has scored 17 goals and assisted 4 times in 28 games, starting in 20 of those. So, it would be fair to say that he has delivered and has been a value for money addition for the French side. While Yedder has been consistent, the same cannot be said about Monaco though. Since he joined the side, they finished 9th in the first season, 3rd in the second and currently they are 7th.
When it comes to the style of play, Ben is essentially a shadow striker who is pretty good with both feet. He is also strong in the air. While his passing and physicality are not what one would call his strengths, his exploits in the final third of the pitch compensate for those shortcomings. He likes playing off the ground often and playing those through balls. He also takes direct free-kicks as well as penalties for Monaco. On top of that, he is a born leader who loves to lead from the front. Thus, he proudly dons the armband for his team. So, by and large, he is a neat package.
For someone, who has been as consistent as he has been in the top 5 leagues for the past 4 years, it is a shame that he is not talked about more often. He has the goods and has produced the goods. And players like him deserve the recognition. Although there is no silverware to show and that football is a team game, it cannot take away the fact of what he has done personally. 31 at the moment, he still has a lot of football ahead of him and hopefully, by the time he hangs his boots, a lot more people will hold him in high esteem.
