Who is RB Leipzig star and long-term Arsenal target Lois Openda? | OneFootball

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Lois Openda is making a real name for himself in Germany with RB Leipzig in 2023 as the young striker has started the new season by taking the Bundesliga by storm and scoring against Manchester City in the Champions League group stages. The 23-year-old has previously attracted interest from Premier League clubs as well as other top European sides, with a big money move likely to be on the cards in the future.

Openda has recently made a big move after signing for his current club from RC Lens in the summer of 2023 after a brilliant previous campaign with the French side. Finishing only one point behind the eventual champions - PSG - Lens and Openda narrowly missed out on the Ligue 1 title, but did earn Champions League football for the new campaign.

The Belgian striker started his senior career with Club Brugge in his home country after being promoted from the youth ranks. After spending two years as part of the first-team set-up in Bruges, he spent a further to years on loan at Dutch outfit, Vitesse Arnhem, before being sold to Lens on a permanent deal. Following one successful season, Openda was snapped up by Leipzig for £39m in the summer.

In February 2023, Foot Mercato reported that an unnamed Premier League club had made an offer to sign the Belgian from Lens, but the striker turned down the approach at the time in order to focus on his club at the time.

While this attempt may have been unsuccessful, it is expected that English clubs will return to the table for the forward once again if his rise in prominence continues as journalist Philipp Hinze has reported that Openda has a release clause of around £70 million in his current contract which will become active in 2025.

The strongest links to a specific Premier League club came when 90min reported that Arsenal were keeping an eye on the 23-year-old among other options for the centre-forward position ahead of the summer transfer window. This came in the wake of injury issues faced by Gabriel Jesus and the difficulties Eddie Nketiah faced in front of goal at times. In the end, the Gunners signed Kai Havertz, who has struggled to establish himself in the side both as a striker and a midfielder.

A move to the Emirates would likely make sense for all parties as Arsenal have shown in recent times that they have the money to make a deal happen, while the player could take his career to the next level by coming in and pushing them towards the Premier League title. Other clubs will likely have thrown their name into the hat by the time Openda's release clause comes into effect.

Statistics

The forward started the 2023/24 season in fine form with four league goals and two assists from his first six appearances, including a goal and an assist in a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich, while he also scored in the Champions League against Manchester City.

This is a continuation of his incredible form shown for Lens last season with 21 goals from 38 league outings which made him the fourth top goalscorer in Ligue 1. An additional four assists show that the Belgian's game is more geared towards putting the ball in the back of the net himself rather than setting up chances for others.

Style of play

Openda is a very talented striker that can play as a lone centre-forward or as part of a pairing up-front. His tendency to drift wide - to either wing - can create plenty of space for a striker partner as well as forward runners from midfield. Despite his low number of assists in recent years, the RB Leipzig man does look to create opportunities for his teammates when possible, either by driving down the wing and cutting the ball back, or via an in-swinging cross from the left flank.

Being shorter than six foot, it may be presumed that he would not present a threat in the air, but Openda has scored many headed goals in his career with his clever movement helping him find space within the box. When in the penalty area, there is a coolness to his game with a clinical knack of finding the back of the net.

Compared to Jamie Vardy

An unlikely comparison that can be drawn for Openda is with Barcelona forward, Robert Lewandowski. While there are differences between the pair physically - with the Polish forward having a bigger frame - the finishing ability can be compared. Both men can score with either foot and with their head, making their vast array of finishing techniques being comparable, as mentioned on the Bundesliga's official website.

But pace, power, and work rate are all attributes that are present in Openda's game, so perhaps comparisons with Leicester City's legendary goal machine Jamie Vardy courtesy of Belgium boss Roberto Martinez are a little more fitting.

Wages and contract information

The 23-year-old put pen to paper on a five-year contract in the summer of 2023 which will see him earn a weekly wage of £94,211, per Capology. A release clause worth around £70 million is believed to be present within the terms of the deal signed as previously mentioned, and should this clause be triggered by a top Premier League side, Openda could see his money significantly increase.

Premier League move?

With the release clause becoming active in the summer of 2025, it is more than likely that this is the transfer window to keep an eye on when it comes to a future move for the Belgian forward. Although, as it is public knowledge that this clause exists, it would also not come as a shock to see a club willing to offer a slightly higher transfer fee potentially next summer to get the deal done and avoid competition from other sides.