Ranking the 5 best forwards in Ligue 1 this year (2021)
The French Ligue 1 has had some of the finest forwards in the game over the last few years. In fact, it wouldn't be far-fetched to say that the division currently matches up with the Premier League and La Liga in terms of the quality of forwards.
This summer, Ligue 1 welcomed arguably the greatest attacker in history when Lionel Messi left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain. Unfortunately, the Argentine has had a slow start to life in the French top flight, scoring just once in 11 games thus far.
French Football Pundit Explains Why Lionel Messi Struggles in Adapting to Ligue 1 psgtalk.com/2021/11/french…
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner may be struggling to make his mark in the division. However, a couple of attackers are busy making their impacts felt with their exploits in front of goal. On that note, here's a look at five of the best forwards in the French top flight in 2021:
#5 Gaetan Laborde
The striker had an incredible outing with Montpellier in Ligue 1 last season, bagging 16 goals and eight assists in 38 games. He was snapped up by Stade Rennais this summer, and has gone on to establish himself as a key player for his new team.
64' Gaëtan Laborde joins the party and makes it 5-0 for @staderennais!
#SRFCCF63 https://t.co/6pRxNnyoHY
So far this season, Gaetan Laborde has made 19 appearances for Rennais, recording nine goals and four assists to his name. Thanks to his exploits in front of goal, the Ligue 1 outfit have enjoyed a decent start to their campaign.
As things stand, they occupy the third spot in the table, having accumulated 31 points from 19 games. It remains to be seen if Laborde can continue with his goalscoring run and help his side secure a Champions League spot come the end of the term.
#4 Ludovic Ajorque
Ludovic Ajorque has been one of the most potent forwards in Ligue 1 since the current campaign kicked off. The Racing Strasbourg striker has been a huge revelation in front of goal, recording an impressive nine goals and five assists in 17 games.
Ajorque has scored four goals in his last four games in the French top flight, finding the back of the net against the likes of Monaco, Bordeaux, Nice and Marseille. He also had an outing to be proud of last season. He concluded the campaign with an impressive tally of 16 goals and four assists.