Unless you’re Pep Guardiola, you can't win anything without a striker. 

Without that one marksman to take the game by the scruff of the neck, without that one player who can create a goal from nothing and clutch victory from the jaws of defeat, winning games of football, let alone trophies, becomes exceedingly difficult.

Where contemporary strikers are concerned there’s a raft of established names who’ve been bludgeoning nets for some time, think Robert Lewandowski, Luiz Suarez and Kerim Benzema to name just a few. But what about the young, up-and-coming strikers that are ready to start consistently smashing in goals and make their mark on the footballing world? 

In a decade’s time the footballing landscape is going to look a hell of a lot different than it does now, so let’s speculate on which strikers will be at the forefront of that new world.

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Dusan Vlahovic

The hype around this kid could not be any louder. Recently making a 70-million-pound move from Florienta to Juventus, the Serbian wonderkid has been tearing Serie A apart and his move is very well deserved. 

The dynamic striker has all the attributes to dominate the world of football. Deadly in front of goal, physically intimidating and his footballing intelligence sets him apart from the rest. Standing at 6foot 2inches, he possesses the adaptability to fit into various systems due to his physique. However, what put him in that upper echelon of strikers in the world is his deadly finishing. Racking up 0.79 goals per 90 over the last calendar year as well as a goal per shot on target ratio of 0.48.

In the next decade, Vlahovic could be the catalyst for the new breed of strikers. The return to the bulkier, physically strong type of number 9, however with added pace and athleticism. Serbia haven’t produced a plethora of elite talent in recent times, so an added bonus is that Vlahovic might be able to put his nation on the map where international football is concerned. He’s already helped lead them to the 2022 World Cup, and with him firing its possible they’ll be able to make further noise once there. 

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Jonathan David

The Canadian maestro. Jonathan David is currently sitting second in the Ligue 1 golden boot with 12 goals and his impact has been profound. He led his Lille side to an upset league title last year, besting the stacked PSG side on their way. The fluid number 9 has all the attributes to make it at the absolute top level. Joining Alphonso Davis as the next generation of Canadian world-beaters, David’s move to a top-level club is imminent. While Lille sits 10th in the league as it stands, they are heavily relying on David’s goals to keep them afloat. His 12 goals are only 3 less than every other player combined. 

At only 22 years of age, he has loads of time to grow and improve areas of his game. However, one area that doesn’t need improving (apart from goalscoring) is his defensive work. His 19.75 pressures last calendar year ranks in the top 10 per cent of all striker Europe’s top 5 leagues. This allows him to fit in a system that requires off-the-ball pressing, as well as a system that has their strikers be more conservative.

Like Vlahovic, David has played a massive role for his national team, already scoring 19 times in his 26 matches with Canada now on the cusp of their first World cup entry since 1986.

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Victor Osimhen

While Napoli's Victor Osmihen is currently in a bit of a form slump it won't deter the young Nigerian from proving to be one of the world’s elite strikers.

It’s important to note that his form slump has come off the back of a calendar year of utter dominance in Italy off the back of his blistering run for Lille in France. The out and out number 9 is a natural goal scorer and a system that best utilises him and allows him to focus solely on putting the ball in the back of the net is one that best understands his talent. While he lacks the technical ability to drop in between the lines and act as a playmaker, he makes up for it with ruthless goal scoring and brilliant athleticism.  

0.69 goals per 90 last year and 3.23 shot-creating actions per 90 not only shows his quality in front of goals but also the presence he provides and the brilliant areas he gets himself into. He has brilliant spatial awareness and tactical understanding that allows him to get that extra yard of space in the box and become a genuine threat out of nothing. The Nigerian international has proven his quality on the international stage as well, scoring 10 goals in his 18 appearances.

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Alexander Isak

The new Zlatan Ibrahimović? Well, don’t tell the man himself that, but Alexander Isak has every bit the chance of replicating the jaw-dropping things the ‘Lion’ used to do. The Swedish international, while a very different player to Zlatan, has the potential to be just as good as him. Currently doing the business for Real Sociedad this season operating as the central striker in a 4-3-3, his measly 4 goals this season mightn’t look so impressive, however this form slump has come off the back of some scintillating form last season where he scored 17 times.

He’s a striker that has more to his game than pure goals scoring. He’s a threat with the ball at his feet, allowing him to drop deep to collect the ball and use his pace and strength, coupled with his good feet to get past defenders and get into advanced positions. This is shown by his 1.78 dribbles completed last year, ranking in the top 10 per cent of all strikers in the top 5 European leagues. This double strength to his game makes him a dangerous proposition to defend for the years to come. 

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Lautaro Martínez

Starting and finishing in Italy, Lautaro Martinez might not have gotten the Romelu Lukaku esq move to a ‘big’ club in the summer, but the Argentinean has most definitely deserved it. Scoring 17 times last season, the dynamic striker has played some of his best football, next to a big, lumbering ‘target man’ next to him. Whether it was Lukaku last season, or Edin Dzeko this time round, he is playing some all-time elite football. He leads Inter’s goal scorers with 11 goals in 15 starts and has them on course for another Series A title.

While capable of running behind an opposition defence and getting into advanced areas, he is also technically gifted enough to drop between the lines and recycle possession, attempting to drag defenders with him to create space for third man runners. Having had his taste at major silverware last season with Inter, this will drive him to be ambitious and make his game near un-defendable. 

While Lukaku has him in high praise and wishes to join him at Inter again, by the time that he gets the opportunity to return, his mate might not be there. He’ll be in demand very soon and whoever gets their hands on his prestigious talents will be well off for years to come.

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