Source: Hannes Kocholl (@h8nnes)
27-year-old Guinea international striker Serhou Guirassy is attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs in European football. The France-born frontman, who excelled in French football with Amiens and Rennes before a move to German Bundesliga side, VfB Stuttgart, has had a string of scouts watching his every move with the January transfer window looming.
Stuttgart’s number nine has notched an impressive 17 goals in 16 Bundesliga appearances so far in 2023/24, a figure that’s only narrowly surpassed by Bayern Munich’s red-hot Englishman, Harry Kane.
Despite Guirassy’s goal scoring exploits for Stuttgart, one other team is hogging the Bundesliga limelight this term. Bayer Leverkusen, managed by Xabi Alonso, finished game week 15 unbeaten, four points ahead of Bayern, who have a game in hand. Nevertheless, given the firepower of Harry Kane in their ranks, it’s no surprise that Bayern remain heavy favourites to lift the Bundesliga title in 2024. The outright football betting markets online have Bayern priced as short as 1.23 – less than 1/4 – to retain their title.
Guirassy could be spoilt for choice with January offers
Guirassy may not be around to see the end of the 2023-24 Bundesliga season if reports are to be believed. Scouts from a host of English Premier League clubs have been watching Guirassy’s every move of late. Manchester United scouts were in attendance for Stuttgart’s recent 3-0 defeat at Bayern, where Guirassy hardly had a kick. Cash-rich Newcastle United are also said to be running the rule over him, while West Ham United have also been drawn to his goalscoring exploits.
One reason why the vultures are circling is the release clause in Guirassy’s Stuttgart contract. Any club willing to pay £15m can trigger the Guinean’s release clause next month, which would be a relative bargain in today’s transfer market. It’s one of the main reasons that West Ham United are in the running for his signature. The Hammers sold Italian frontman Gianluca Scamacca to Serie A side Atalanta in the summer and are very short of front-line options. The likes of Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen have been pushed forward as makeshift strikers in recent months.
Even Arsenal, who’ve held a firm interest in Brentford striker, Ivan Toney, have been alerted to Guirassy’s bargain basement availability. With the Gunners sailing very close to their Financial Fair Play (FFP) limit, Guirassy may be considered a cheaper alternative to Toney.
Source: Javid Naderi (@javidnaderi)
Manchester United may seem an unlikely move for Guirassy, given that the Red Devils are in turmoil and the somewhat tenuous position of manager Erik ten Hag, but Rasmus Hojlund’s inability to find a Premier League goal is cause for concern at Old Trafford.
Arsenal’s North London rivals, Tottenham, are also said to have been offered Guirassy’s services by his agent. After losing talisman Harry Kane in the summer, the Spurs have relied heavily on Son Heung-min. Guirassy’s arrival would help to ease the burden on the South Korean ace.
Could the Guinean handle the undeniable step up to the EPL?
Ultimately, it seems Guirassy is likely to be the subject of interest from around half of the Premier League, given his release clause. It’ll be a case of which club can pitch the best package to Guirassy and his advisors. His physical attributes suggest he could more than cope with the step up to the Premier League. He’s also been described by Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg as a “leading figure” in the Stuttgart dressing room, which should be music to the ears of any Premier League manager who’s big on player mentality.
As for Stuttgart, they find themselves in a very difficult position. The club took a punt on Guirassy on loan in 2022-23, and their faith has been repaid in spades. Finding a replacement in January will be difficult but essential if they are to maintain their bid for Champions League qualification.