Top 10 Under-the-Radar Strikers in World Football
We all think that our team could do with a few more goals in it, but usually the very top forwards simply aren't available to buy.
Sometimes you need to dip below the radar to bring in a goal-getter, such as when West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce brought in forward Diafra Sakho from France's Ligue 2 in the summer. The former Metz forward has responded with seven goals in nine Hammers appearances this season.
But who are the next lot of under-the-radar forwards that your club should be targeting? We've taken a look.
Moussa Maazou, Maritimo
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We start with a player who probably did feature on the radars of some big clubs when he was younger, but now at the age of 26 he appears to have matured into a better all-round player and a clinical goalscorer.
Niger's Moussa Maazou bounced around the likes of Lokeren, CSKA Moscow, Monaco and Bordeaux in his early 20s, but he was never a prolific goalscorer at any of them.
He even had a spell in Tunisia in a bid to find his form, but this summer's move to Portuguese club Maritimo has seemingly agreed with him, and he's bagged eight goals this season to share the top-scorer accolades with Porto's Jackson Martinez and exciting Benfica youngster Talisca.
Deyverson, Belenenses
2 of 10Staying in Portugal—a rich source of talent down the years—the Belenenses forward Deyverson has scored one goal less than Maazou this season, but at three years younger the Brazilian would arguably be the better investment.
Formerly of the Benfica B team, Deyverson took a year to settle into his current club when he joined last summer, but his seven goals in 11 appearances in this campaign have lifted the Blues up to fifth in the table.
Andrej Kramaric, Rijeka
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The goalscoring feats of Andrej Kramaric will have ensured that he's already registered on the radars of many clubs, but the stature and calibre of those clubs will surely be getting greater and greater by the week.
A big-money move from Croatian club Rijeka now surely beckons for the four-time capped international forward, who has scored a staggering 28 goals in 22 appearances for club and country this season. This includes a five-goal haul in a league match against Lokomotiv Zagreb and two strikes for his country in Euro 2016 qualifiers against Malta and Azerbaijan.
Petar Skuletic, Partizan Belgrade
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Partizan Belgrade has long been a stepping stone for plenty of Serbian players to make the next step towards a big move to major European leagues, and the form of Petar Skuletic ever since his transfer to the club in January suggests that he'll be the next to make the leap.
The 24-year-old has scored 12 times in 14 matches this season as he enjoys a partnership with the experienced Danko Lazovic, and with full Serbian honours doubtless around the corner, the Serbian Super League's top scorer looks to be on a meteoric rise.
Abdoulaye Diaby, Mouscron-Peruwelz (on Loan from Lille)
5 of 10Lille will be losing forward Divock Origi to Liverpool next summer, but they appear to be training up his replacement in Origi's homeland.
Malian forward Abdoulaye Diaby has scored 11 this season to currently stand as the top scorer in the Belgian Pro League, despite his temporary club Mouscron-Peruwelz lying no higher than mid-table.
The 23-year-old previously scored goals with Sedan in Ligue 1, but being allowed to sharpen his skills out of the limelight in Belgium could ensure that he returns to France a much better player when Origi's shoes need to be filled next season.
Britt Assombalonga, Nottingham Forest
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Many questioned the wisdom of Championship club Nottingham Forest paying relegated Peterborough a club-record fee for 21-year-old forward Britt Assombalonga in the summer, but he has responded to those questions with goals.
There have been 12 of them, to be exact, as Forest started the season on fire in a bid to earn promotion to the Premier League. Although the team's form has dipped somewhat since then, in Assombalonga they've got a forward who looks destined for the top-flight whether it's with them or without.
Alan, Red Bull Salzburg
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The top scorer in this season's Europa League with six goals, Brazilian forward Alan appears to be on the cusp of a move away from Austria's Red Bull Salzburg and to a more widely recognised European league.
At 25 he is certainly the right age for it, and with stellar form which saw him plunder 36 goals last season and 19 already in this campaign, whoever decides to invest in him would be getting a lively goalscorer.
Artyom Dzyuba, Spartak Moscow
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With many of the forwards on this list there is a sense that their clubs have been rewarded for the patience they have shown in them.
That is certainly the case with Spartak Moscow's Russian forward Artyom Dzyuba, who first joined the club as an 18-year-old in 2006 but has only really found prolific form in the current campaign, scoring seven goals to sit joint-second in the list of the Russian Premier League's top scorers this season.
The 26-year-old has been rewarded with a more consistent run in the Russia national team, and he responded with his first two goals for his country in the space of four days in Euro 2016 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Moldova in September.
Lucas Pratto, Velez Sarsfield
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Currently sharing the top-scorer honours in the Argentina Primera Division with veteran Maxi Rodriguez and the Lanus forward Silvio Romero, 6'2'' Velez Sarsfield forward Lucas Pratto could fancy another crack at Europe when the Argentinian season finishes.
Having previously had an unhappy spell with Genoa in Serie A, Pratto has grown as a player back in his native land and might be worth someone taking a gamble on.
Henrique, Palmeiras
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The fact that World Cup flop Fred is currently the top scorer in Brazil's Serie A might get alarm bells ringing for some, but just one goal behind him and with a much brighter future ahead is the Palmeiras forward Henrique.
At 25, Henrique has passed through several of Brazil's top clubs before finding his feet with 15 goals this season, but he has never once been capped by his country at any level.
He appears to be a specialist at staying under the radar in his own country, but that might change soon.
