Scout Report – Pierre-Michel Lasogga
According to reports from the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United are planning to make a move for Hamburger SV striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga before the transfer window closes. The 25-year old is surplus to requirements at the German club and is up for sale and the Whites, who have had the forward on their radar for quite some time, are set to pounce upon the situation, the report claims.
Leeds have been very active in the transfer market this summer and have been reshaping the squad under new boss Thomas Christiansen. And things have begun quite well for the Yorkshire-based outfit, with two wins in two games so far. But the manager feels he needs one more addition to his attack and sees Lasogga as a viable option to add.
With interest mounting in the German, we take a look at who Pierre-Michel Lasogga is and what he will bring to Leeds if signed.
Footballing Background
Born in Gladbeck, Germany, on 15 December 1991, Lasogga started off by joining the academy of local club FC Gladbeck in 1996 as a 5-year old. Having spent three years, the forward moved to FC Schalke 04 in 1999, where he spent 7 years, until 2006, with the academy.
In the summer of 2006, he joined the Rot-Weiss Essen U-17s, but moved to SG Wattenscheid a year later, before switching clubs again six months later, joining Wolfsburg in January 2008. After impressing for the Wolfsburg U17s and the U19s, Bayer Leverkusen came calling in July 2009.
He quickly established himself in the club’s youth team and finished as the leading goal-scorer in the U-19 West Bundesliga with 25 goals in his debut season, due to which he broke into the reserves’ side. But only after a season at the club, Lasogga moved to second division side Hertha BSC in 2010.
The German made his debut for the club in September 2010 and soon became a regular in the team and finished the season with 13 goals and 5 assists in 25 games, helping the club achieve promotion to the Bundesliga. He continued to be an important member of the team and finished the 2011/12 campaign with 10 goals and 4 assists from 36 games in the league and the cup competitions combined. But the club ended up getting relegated back to the second tier.
The following season, Lasogga hardly featured, as he spent most of the campaign on the treatment tables, recovering from a cruciate ligament injury. He made 7 appearances, scoring just once. In the summer of 2013, he joined Hamburger SV on a one-year loan deal, and made immediate impact, scoring a hat-trick in only his second appearance. He finished the 2013/14 campaign with 15 goals in all competitions and the move was made a permanent one in the subsequent summer.
But, following the move, Lasogga did not rediscover his best form as since then, he has played 83 times for the club, scoring 15 goals only, with just 2 goals coming in the 2016/17 campaign from 22 games.
Lasogga is a former Germany youth international, having represented the U21s on 11 occasions scoring on 4 occasions.
Style of Play
An out and out, old-fashioned striker, Lasogga is a daunting presence in the opposition box standing over 6ft 2in, and throws himself around well to cause defenders a headache. More often than not, he is used as a target man who feeds his other attacking partners with clever layoffs and flick-ons. The 25-year old also has a penchant for having a go at the goal from distance.
Not the best of passers, the German doesn’t offer a lot in terms of work-rate either and is someone who cannot create a whole lot of chances for himself, and is heavily dependent on the players around him.
What Does The Future Hold?
Leeds have Chris Wood as their number one striker and have brought in Caleb Ekuban as a more than decent backup. And considering the bad form that Lasogga showed last season and his steep wages, a move for the striker doesn’t make great sense as he would very much likely end up being the third-choice striker.