Jeremie Boga’s career wasn’t progressing too much in the last few years. His move to Sassuolo came after rather fruitless spells in the Championship with Birmingham City. Very few knew where he could end up, but Boga has become a much better player at Sassuolo now. So much so that he probably deserves a bigger move, and those in the know on free football tips are backing him to leave.
Last season under Roberto de Zerbi saw Boga contribute to only four goals in 25 Serie A appearances. Despite the number being low, it was the highest he had achieved in a single league season in his career.
This season has been a revolution. In De Zerbi’s technical system, Boga seems to have come of age. The 4-2-3-1 shape sees Boga play regularly on the left-wing and this allows him to constantly cut inside by using his pace and dexterity on the ball.
Sassuolo like to build from the back, allowing Boga a good amount of possession and time on the ball. As a result, he has contributed to ten goals in 24 Serie A appearances. He has scored eight goals, picking up a couple of assists. This is his highest tally in senior-level football and this has led to many bigger clubs being attentive to him.
He’s completed 4.4 dribbles per game and that is the highest in Serie A. That is a big strength of his approach to the game and he has had 26.7 touches in the final third and that is the 18th highest in the division. This has certainly helped him play closer to decisive areas of the pitch.
For players who have played over ten games in Serie A this season, Boga ranks second for the highest distance of ball-carries in Serie A- 286.9 per 90 minutes. He boasts of a high dribbling accuracy of 67.7 percent and it helps him be more precise with all of his dribbles.
For players who have played at least ten games in the league, Boga has dribbled past the most number of players in Serie A. Alex Berenguer is second, with his number at 4.43. Boga’s tally stands at 5.87. These numbers were much lower last season and it is clear proof that with constant usage in the same system and stability, Boga has benefited a lot.
This has seen him become one of the best dribblers in the league and one of the most efficient ones in Europe. What does let him down is the final ball. Because while he does dribble a lot and he does take people on, he has created only 3.46 shot creation opportunities per 90 minutes. That is the 37th highest in the league and it shows where he lacks.
Players who have dribbled less have created more than him and it shows how they’re more efficient in the final third. That is one aspect that Boga really has to work on. But he’s still young and will only get better.
His brother-agent has already talked up interest from Chelsea in getting him back. He recently said: “In December I met with [Chelsea director] Marina Granovskaia. She’s following his season with great interest. There are no concrete offers, but there’s strong interest. Barcelona asked me for information. I spoke to others but many clubs want him. Napoli? Certainly, but many called from France and England. I’m very proud of this growth. For many it’s a surprise, but certainly not for me. His future is at a top club.”
This shows that his future is very bright indeed. Things can get much better next season, but it will depend on where he finds himself.
