Scouting Report: Could Andre Ayew Be Manchester United's Newest Signing?
June 27, 2014
Here is a scouting report of Marseille's Ghanaian international Andre Ayew, a 24-year-old, 5'9", 159-pound left attacking midfielder who is being targeted by Manchester United during the summer transfer window, per Anthony Chapman of the Daily Express.
Ayew's Impressive 2014 FIFA World Cup Tournament
Surrounded by the back-stabbing, chaotic and dysfunctional framework of Ghanaian football, Ayew is statistically comparable to Portugal's FIFA Ballon d'Or recipient Cristiano Ronaldo after three World Cup appearances.
| Andre Ayew | Cristiano Ronaldo | |
| Games | 3 | 3 |
| Goals | 2 | 1 |
| Shots | 4 | 22 |
| Shots Per Goal | 2 | 22 |
| Assists | 0 | 1 |
| Key Passes | 2 | 3 |
| Pass Completion % | 84.2 | 78.7 |
| Tackles | 6 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 4 | 3 |
Given a free-roaming role on the left wing, Ayew was a complete footballer.
Ayew outscored (two) the Cameroonian national team (one) and won the ball more times (10) than England left-back Leighton Baines (five).
While little brother Jordan stumbled, Ayew proved to the world he has the ability to take his game to the next level.
Ayew's decision to unretire from international football last June, per Michael Oti Adjei of BBC Sport, could prove to be a lucrative choice.
Ayew Marseille Positives
A high-energy footballer with an excellent understanding of the game, Ayew is tactically versatile.
He can start as a left attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 or as a central midfielder in a 4-3-3.
Ayew has a sudden change of pace, which he uses regularly to burst into the penalty box in order to create his own shot.
This was illustrated against Ajaccio when he had time to lob the ball over an onrushing Guillermo Ochoa.
Ayew accelerated past Lorient centre-back Gregory Bourillon and placed the ball beneath Lorient goalkeeper Fabien Audard.
Ayew is smooth on the ball, possesses elite technique and is aware of his surroundings, which was evident when he lofted a ball with his first touch against Reims to Marseille right attacking midfielder Florian Thauvin.
Prior to Marseille central attacking midfielder Mathieu Valbuena clipping the ball over Montpellier goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren, Ayew split open Montpellier's defence with an incisive pass.
Ayew Marseille Negatives
| League Only | Andre Ayew | Jordan Ayew* |
| Goals | 6 | 5 |
| Shots Per Goal | 9.7 | 6.8 |
| Assists | 3 | 1 |
| Key Passes Per Game | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| * Sochaux loan spell only |
Despite Jordan being immature and raw and having a reputation as a ball hog, he averaged more key passes per game (pass leading to scoring chance) than his big brother.
Ayew scored 11 goals during the 2010-11 Ligue 1 season but has not made substantial gains since.
Ayew is steady and will do a job for the betterment of the team, such as dropping deep to win back the ball.
But can Ayew replicate the success of his father, Abedi Pele?
Abedi was a once-in-a-generation player and a pioneer for Ghanaian football.
Ayew is a talented footballer but not a star (yet).
Bottom Line
Ayew is tactically interchangeable and can play in both halves.
Those are attributes that will appeal to United manager Louis van Gaal.
At 24 years of age, Ayew's best years are ahead of him, and he has the ability to reach his father's status.
Statistics via WhoScored.com