We revealed on Thursday morning that Paul-Georges Ntep is closing in on a summer switch to Liverpool, having held talks with our officials on two separate occasions and discussed terms over a potential deal.
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L’Equipe claim that the 22-year-old, who has scored 14 goals in 42 games for current club Rennes, will sign on the dotted line and become the Reds’ first major signing of the summer transfer window.
But who is he? In the list below we count down nine key stats and facts about our soon-to-be new player:
Club Career
- Ntep was born in Cameroon on 29 July 1992. He moved to France at the age of eight and lived with his aunt. He began his football career the following year, signing up for US Ris Orangis.
- He became something of a journeyman in the early years of his career, playing for six different clubs before turning professional with Auxerre in 2010. He remained with the club until 2014, making 51 league appearances and scoring 16 goals.
- In January 2014 he joined Stade Rennais, signing a three-and-a-half year deal. He’s since scored 14 goals in 42 games, including this wonderful solo effort…
International Career
- Ntep began his international career with France’s Under-18s, playing once in 2010. He quickly progressed up through the ranks and more recently scored nine goals in 15 appearances for the Under-21s.
- In 2013 he played in the Toulon Tournament, helping France finish third. The eventual winners were Brazil, while France’s only defeat came against Colombia, who came second.
- He remains eligible to play for Cameroon at senior level, should he not be called up by France.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- According to WhoScored, Ntep has just the sort of versatility that Brendan Rodgers craves. He’s capable of playing anywhere down the right or left hand side and can also operate as a central striker. His prowess has earned him a rating of 8.06 on the left and 7.54 on the right.
- His best attributes are his dribbling and his ability to make decisive passes, usually from long balls. He is excellent when cutting inside from the flank and running at the opposition defence.
- He struggles to hold on to the ball at times and can be guilty of giving away possession. We also shouldn’t be expecting him to get back and do much helping out with the defence – something Rodgers may want to change.
Fun Facts
- Ntep is currently rated at 73 on FIFA 15. His best attributes are sprint speed (91), acceleration (86) and dribbling (82). His worst are tackling and interceptions.
- The Auxerre youth academy which helped produce him is also responsibly for bringing us the likes of Abou Diaby, Djibril Cisse, Eric Cantona and Bacary Sagna.
- Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are among those to express an interest in the player in the past, according to the Daily Express.
