The ongoing struggles of reported Leeds United target Christian Kouame have his former Cittadella CEO wondering if the striker has lost his ‘enthusiasm’, as reported by Tuttomercatoweb.
When La Nazione reported that Marcelo Bielsa had instructed Leeds to bring the Fiorentina striker to Elland Road, you would have been forgiven for assuming Kouame was scoring goals for fun over in Italy.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
With just one goal in 22 matches, Kouame is no closer to fulfilling the potential that caught the eye of scouts all over Europe a few years ago.
In fact, the Ivory Coast international has not hit double figures in a single league campaign since his breakthrough season with Serie B outfit Cittadella in 2017/18.
And Stefano Marchetti has been left wondering where it all went wrong.
“We are talking about a guy I care a lot about. He is an excellent man, extraordinary from every point of view,” the Cittadella CEO sighed.
“I don’t know what has happened, he has lost the enthusiasm and vivacity I knew. On the occasions I saw him play, he never managed to express himself. “
Kouame, who is valued by Fiorentina at around £20 million, has often been asked to fulfil the role of an old-school, back-to-goal target man at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
According to Marchetti, however, the number nine position wastes the vast potential of a man at his most effective in a deeper role.
“(His best position is as a) second striker, one who absolutely has to attack the spaces. He can’t be a reference as a first striker, with his back to the goal,” Marchetti added.
“But he can be devastating if he uses his energy.”
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