Ranking the 5 favorites for the 2021-22 Ligue 1 Golden Boot
The French top flight, commonly known as Ligue 1, is one of the highest-rated football leagues in European football at the moment. The league has shown an incredible ability to produce outstanding talent which has gone on to perform brilliantly in different theaters across Europe.
Ligue 1 boasts a list of fascinating talents, ranging from the highly-paid superstars at PSG in the French capital to fallen giants Bourdeaux at the bottom of the table. Every season, these talents vie for the recognition and fame that accompanies the Ligue 1 Golden Boot.
Hence, the vast list of candidates has been narrowed to the top five contenders who are most likely to win the Golden Boot. These five players are the ones we believe have the best chance of lifting the prestigious award at the end of the season. So without further ado, here are our five favorites to lift the Ligue 1 golden boot.
Honorable mentions
Sitting pretty with ten goals from just over 20 games, players like Bordeaux star Hwang Ui-Jo deserve a mention. Like the South Korean international, French stars Randal Kolo Muani and Amine Gouiri both have ten goals, playing for Nantes and Nice respectively.
Young Guinea forward Mohamed Bayo also deserves a shoutout, with the 23-year-old scoring 10 goals for Clermont Foot in just 19 starts. The only other player to reach the double-digit goal milestone is Ludovic Ajorque, who has scored 10 goals for Strasbourg.
#5 Gaetan Laborde | Rennes
While he isn't the only Rennes player to make the list, Gaetan Laborde has certainly gained fans for himself after some brilliant displays this season. The star left Montpellier, where he has garnered three goals in four games, for Rennes, where he has scored 11 times in 23 outings.
Gaetan Laborde seals all three points for Rennes! 🔴⚫️
The Frenchman slots home from close range, but it was all about the movement and pass from Jeremy Doku to set him up 🤩 https://t.co/7nYAlbf9Wb
The French star is in brilliant form for Rennes, singlehandedly scoring just over a fifth of the club's Ligue 1 goals. His last five games have seen Laborde score a stunning five goals, following a goal and an assist during Lens' 6-0 beating at the hands of Rennes.
If Laborde continues in similar fashion, he will be a strong contender for the Ligue 1 Golden Boot, even if he's ranked fifth at the moment.
#4 Jonathan David | Lille
Although the Canadian international is just 22 years old, he has arguably become the best player in Lille's side. He might not be an all-rounder, but Jonathan David clearly has what it takes to remain in contention for the Golden Boot this season.
Clearly a quality finisher, he has scored three goals for Lille in the Champions League. Although they could be knocked out, he's made his name in Europe's premier competition.
Scored our 200th home @Ligue1_ENG goal 🏡
Now has 30 Lille goals ⚽️
@itsJoDavid things 😎
#LOSC https://t.co/0nFkqU1m6q
In Ligue 1, the young forward has flourished, scoring 13 goals in just 23 starting appearances. More notably, the star averages just two shots per game, which makes his goalscoring record even more remarkable.
There are already rumors about his potential move to Arsenal or Newcastle, both of which would give him more chances at goal. However, before he potentially leaves, Jonathan David has a strong chance of scoring more goals this season.