Meet the Guinean striker who has scored more goals than Haaland and Harry Kane this season

If you take a look at the most prolific goalscorers in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues this season, some familiar names immediately jump out, with the likes of Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe all in the top four. However, it is not one of this free-scoring trio that boasts the honour of being the continent's leading marksman so far this campaign. That title instead belongs to a far lesser-known name: Serhou Guirassy of Stuttgart.

The Guinea international's exploits in the Bundesliga this season have been nothing short of astounding. Guirassy is currently averaging an astonishing two goals per game, netting 10 times in just five matches to kick-off the 2023-24 campaign.

His electric start has catapulted Stuttgart - who had to negotiate a relegation play-off with Hamburg last season - into the Champions League places, with a 5-1 defeat to RB Leipzig the only time Die Schwaben have failed to win in their opening five fixtures.

Guirassy's story is one of resilience and dedication, with the France-born hotshot having to battle his fair share of setbacks over the course of his career.

Early-career struggles Born in Arles in 1996, Guirassy is not a product of one of France's premier youth academies. He instead came through the ranks at Stade Lavallois, a club whose only major honours are two Coupe de la Ligue triumphs in the 1980s.

Guirassy made his first-team debut in a Ligue 2 clash against Le Havre in 2013, coming on as a late substitute in a 2-2 draw. It would take until the 2014-15 campaign for him to properly break into the side, and after netting six times in 29 appearances, he was snapped up by Lille in summer 2015.

After floating around the reserves and the substitutes' bench, he was shipped out on loan to Auxerre the following January and began to show glimpses of just how good he could become, averaging a goal every other game in the second half of the Ligue 2 season.

That was enough to convince FC Koln to snap him up on a five-year deal in 2016, but he was forced to undergo surgery immediately after his arrival - and he never really got going again. Injuries severely restricted his involvement and by the time he left for Amiens in summer 2019 after a loan spell, he had registered just 45 appearances across three seasons.



Finally getting somewhere

Getting out of Germany proved to be the perfect tonic, though. During the 2019-20 season, Guirassy scored nine goals in just 23 appearances, despite Amiens spending almost the entirety of the campaign in the relegation zone before the pandemic halted proceedings.

It was little surprise when Rennes were convinced to sign him in 2020, with Guirassy netting 13 times - including once against Chelsea in the Champions League group stages - through 32 appearances in his maiden campaign.

Things slowed down a little the following season, with the striker notching 12 goals, but the fact he remained fit for the entire campaign was more significant. By the time the 2021-22 campaign reached its conclusion, he had featured just under 50 times for Rennes, which helped shed his 'injury-prone' tag.

A perfect home in Germany

After ensuring their Bundesliga status on the final day of the 2021-22 season, Stuttgart were on the lookout for a new striker following the departure of Sasa Kalajdzic to Wolves. Guirassy fit the bill, and a loan deal was swiftly agreed with Rennes, who themselves had just signed Amine Gouiri from Nice.

After struggling to make the grade at Koln, Guirassy would have felt under pressure to perform upon his return to Germany - but a 92nd-minute equaliser against Bayern Munich on his full debut addressed a lot of these doubts.

Despite Stuttgart struggling once again, their loan signing stood out, eventually finishing the regular-season campaign with 11 goals from 22 matches. Bundesliga safety was then assured via a two-legged victory over perennial bottlers Hamburg, which allowed the club to focus on ensuring that they wouldn't come so close to losing their top-flight status again.

Historic start to the season

And while nothing is certain in the highly-unpredictable world of the Bundesliga, Guirassy's breathtaking start to the season means Stuttgart have already gone a long way to quelling any relegation fears.

The tone was set in his side's opener against Bochum, a team they duelled with in the battle for survival last campaign. Guirassy produced two clinical finishes to bookend Stuttgart's 5-0 victory, and grabbed a consolation in the heavy defeat to Leipzig the following week.

The goals kept on flowing in a 5-0 win over Freiburg, too. Guirassy's first in that game was an ingenious strike into the near corner from the edge of the box, while his second was a well-taken side-footed volley.

His best performance of the campaign so far came against Mainz on matchday four. Guirassy opened the scoring with a cultured dink before completing his hat-trick with a sublime scoop and finish, followed by a clever looping header.

"It’s very good but I can only repeat, we do it as a team and when I score it’s credit to the whole team. I scored today but maybe next week it’ll be someone else. Obviously I’m very happy about my hat-trick but I’m even happier with the win," he said after collecting the match ball.

Two further goals in a comfortable 3-1 win over Darmstadt on Saturday - he assisted the other one too - made it 10 from just five starts. No player in Bundesliga history has scored as many in such a short space of time. The only player to match his feat is Robert Lewandowski, who reached double figures in five games for Bayern Munich back in 2020.

What makes him so good, then?

To post Lewandowski-esque numbers, you need a coach that understands how to get the best out of you. Stuttgart boss Sebastien Hoeness - who has previously held posts at Leipzig and Bayern Munich - is exactly that to Guirassy.

Although they have completed the third-most short passes in the Bundesliga this season, Hoeness' team also choose the correct times to go direct to their 6'2 striker, and a significant portion of his goals so far have come as a result of the havoc these long balls can create. It wouldn't be right to characterise Guirassy as a back-to-goal target man, though.

He is extremely quick and likes to move into the channels before cutting inside when the opportunity presents itself. His signature scoop turn is his weapon of choice when he drifts out wide and receives the ball as his excellent second goal against Darmstadt demonstrated.

Guirassy's pace also makes him an option to run in behind, a particularly potent weapon as the majority of Bundesliga coaches remain committed disciples of high defensive lines.

Sliding-doors moment

There is an unfortunate irony that Guirassy's incredible spell of form has coincided with the club that tried to sign him in 2020, Chelsea, struggling so much in front of goal. Before he opted to join Rennes, Amiens sporting director John Williams revealed that the player rejected a move to the Blues.

"He refused to go to Chelsea during the last window," Williams told Le Parisien. "Serhou made a sporting choice when he could earn more money with the London team. He wanted to continue in a club where he was sure to have some playing time and not relive an experience like the one in Koln where he was a substitute. The choice fell on Rennes because coach Julien Stephan assured him that he was counting on him."

Interestingly, Chelsea are understood to be eager to bring in a striker in January, with Nicolas Jackson failing to convince in west London thus far. If the Blues cannot sign top target Ivan Toney, they might even be convinced to reignite their interest in Guirassy.

If they do want to sign him, though, they'll have to pay considerably more than €15 million (£13m/$16m) - which was what he was reportedly available for in the summer due to a release clause.

Not the only African striker impressing in Germany

Guirassy might not be the only African striker playing in the Bundesliga who attracts Premier League transfer attention this winter. Two-hundred miles away in Leverkusen, Victor Boniface has made a similarly impressive start to the campaign.

Xabi Alonso's side have earned plenty of admiration from neutrals for their attractive style of play so far - they only trail leaders Bayern Munich on goal difference - and the Nigerian has been right at the heart of their success.

Hitting the ground running following his summer move from Union Saint-Gilloise in the summer, Boniface has netted a trio of braces through his first five Bundesliga games, showing a devastating combination of power and guile to force his way into the already ridiculously-strong Nigeria striking pool ahead of the African Cup of Nations.

Aged just 22, he represents a seemingly smarter investment than Guirassy, who is five years his senior, and Europe's top clubs will no doubt be scrambling to sign him if he can keep up this electric form.

Watch out Kane and Haaland!

It would have taken a very brave person to bet against Haaland retaining the Golden Shoe this season, but Guirassy - and to a lesser extent, Boniface - have butted into the conversation with their unexpected and explosive recent form.

They will have four less games than the Norwegian to bolster their league goal tallies, but neither look like missing chances any time soon. Guirassy is overperforming his xG by a startling 5.7 to kick off the season, demonstrating just how deadly he's been in front of goal.

It might not be sustainable, but he's already accrued a three-goal headstart over Kane in the Bundesliga Golden Boot race. Even running the England international close in the battle to be top scorer would be a remarkable achievement.

Guirassy's unlikely rise is a welcome reminder of football's ability to throw up unforeseen, feel-good stories each and every season.

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