Let's have a Lucca at Lorenzo

What can 6"7 striker Lorenzo Lucca offer to Nottingham Forest? I've watched him so you don't have to, so let's dig in with data, visuals & videos!

Igor Jesus is finally going to have someone to help share the load up front for Forest after the signing of Lucca - they each have their own strengths that should give Dyche some different options.

So far this season, Lucca has struggled for minutes after joining Napoli in the summer. He’s played less than 500 minutes across 16 Serie A appearances, with only 4 coming from starts. He’s had an additional 120 minutes in the Champions League too in 5 appearances.

Lucca’s data profile in Serie A this season for Napoli

For that reason, it’s been pretty tough for Lucca to gain any consistent form. A couple of things still stick out though, his Shot Quality is amongst the best in the league (although granted this is a small sample size), and he’s good at finding his team mates in the final third. What’s also interesting is his ability to carry the ball, but often this is from deeper areas, rather than the more dangerous carries into the box.

Lucca’s performances for Udinese last season, as a lone striker (left), and in a front two (right).

Last season he enjoyed a really productive season with Udinese, splitting his time almost evenly between playing as a lone striker and in a pair. He scored 5 goals as a lone striker, and 7 with someone in close company. His underlying chance creation numbers weren’t too different though, and neither were his shooting numbers either. This suggests he’s equally happy in either role.

Lucca’s Aerial Ability

Naturally, for a player of Lucca’s size you’d expect him to be a threat aerially. That is indeed in the case, but he’s not the kind of striker you’ll see overpower opposition defenders regularly. Instead he knows he has the height advantage over most, and uses some smart movement to make the most of it.