By: Ryan Bode
Old Team: Marseille
New Team: Swansea City
Basic Demographics
The Ghana superstar is on the move to the Premier League. The 2011 African Footballer of the Year has great potential ahead of him, as he is only 25 years old. He also has a pedigree of soccer in his blood as well. His father, Abedi Pele, is an accomplished soccer player for Ghana and has two brothers that play as well. Jordan, the youngest brother, played with André Ayew while at Marseille. Ayew can be seen playing in the midfield and forward positions, mostly on the wings.
What Was His Transfer Fee?
This was a surprising move by Ayew. Ayew’s father was a longtime player at Marseille. Ayew’s brother Jordan also played for Marseille as well. In addition to Marseille being one of the top teams in Ligue 1 this past season, it’s surprising that Ayew wanted to move away. According to ESPN FC, Ayew cited the troubling financial situation that Marseille is in. He believes that in turn that this situation will result in Marseille not being able to bring in quality players, thus resulting in them not being able to compete in Ligue 1 next season. Swansea City was able to swipe Ayew at the end of his contract, thus making the transfer free for Swansea.
What Does He Bring to Swansea City?
Ayew is able to go from running a dead sprint to a slow jog. This change of pace ability allows him to slow down while moving into the box to set up a quality shot. He is also a versatile player. He is not afraid to drop past the midfield line in order to help on defense/regain control for his team. He also has great vision while pressing up the field. This could create more chances for star striker Gomis to capitalize on for Swansea. Although he does create a lot of chances, he also takes a lot of shots as well (10 goals on 54 shots) and has the reputation of being a ball hog. This could possibly be good for Swansea City as it could take a little pressure off Gomis to perform well, allowing Gomis to play more freely. On the other hand, Ayew could hog the ball so much that Gomis is frustrated at not receiving enough touches.
What Are His Outlooks for Swansea City?
The Good
Fans will start to get used to announcers pairing the names of Ayew and Gomis together. Ayew will be replacing Bony after he left to join Man City. Ayew will learn to work alongside Gomis and this will equal closer games for Swansea City. Ayew will develop going into the future due to him getting a ton of playing time at Swansea, which could make other teams take a look at the young striker. Swansea City could create another dynamic striker like they did with Bony and sell him for a massive pay day.
The Bad
Ayew does not adjust to the pace of the Premier League play. Swansea City remains in the mid to lower tier of the Premier League. Ayew tries to make a play every time he comes up the pitch, taking touches away from the main focus Gomis. This forces Gomis to request a transfer away from Swansea, causing an immense amount of pressure to fall square on the shoulders of Ayew. Swansea thinks of getting Ayew as a low risk remove, but as it turns out to be the worst nightmare for the organization.
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