If there is one thing a Sean Dyche football team needs, it’s a towering striker.
Igor Jesus may work hard to disrupt defences. He’s committed just 12 fewer fouls (27) than he has had shots (39) in the Premier League this season. However, the Brazilian just doesn’t have the presence to lead the charge in Dyche’s Nottingham Forest team. The Tricky Trees boss favours a 4-2-3-1 setup. He needs a frontman who’ll occupy defences and provide an out in the final third.
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And with Chris Wood absent and Taiwo Awoniyi out of favour, Forest are dipping into the January market. Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen was previously a target. They have have since turned their attention to Napoli’s giant Lorenzo Lucca.
Who is Lorenzo Lucca?
At 6ft7in, Lucca is no slouch. On the face of it, he might be considered the perfect target man for Dyche. The Italian moved to Napoli from Udinese last summer but has found playing time hard to come by under Antonio Conte. Lucca has started just four league matches, netting once in the process.
That he’s playing second fiddle to Rasmus Hojlund shouldn’t come as a shock. The Dane has looked an ideal fit for Conte’s side. Hojlund makes the runs in behind defences to latch on to through balls and long passes. Napoli have maximised this clever movement to good effect. Yes, they may have dropped off in the Scudetto race, but the defending champions remain in contention. Napoli have scored the fourth most goals (31) in the division, after all.
Conversely, Lucca doesn’t have the same off-ball movement as Hojlund. What Lucca is, though, is a handy target man who can hold up play and bring others into the game. Forest ranked fifth for accurate long balls per 90 (22) in England’s top tier this term. They will look to go direct where possible. With the Italian giant operating on the frontline, the Midlands side need the right outlet, and the 25-year-old fits the bill.
6ft7in star isn’t an aerial winning machine
That’s not to say Lucca is an aerial winning machine. Despite his height, he won’t win every headed battle. It was similar to Peter Crouch, who was so often incorrectly pigeon-holed as an out-and-out target man. Yes, Lucca can carry out these duties, but there is much more to his game than just winning aerial duels.
Lucca’s hold up play is one of those traits that stands out. He’s able to utilise his standing to hold off markers and bring teammates into play. A 78.8% pass accuracy is a case in point. Admittedly, Lucca has been restricted to just 401 minutes of game time in Serie A this season, which skews that return a touch.
Yet even for Udinese last season, Lucca managed a modest 64.9% pass accuracy. The Italian striker knows how to find a player to help knit play together. This is especially important for a Forest side that looks to maximise width to hurt teams.
Forest’s wing play suits Lucca
Only West Ham (23%) attack through the middle of the pitch less than Forest (24%) in the Premier League this season. The onus, then, will be for Lucca to hold up play to bring Morgan Gibbs-White into play or spread it wide.
It’s attacking from the wings where fans will see Lucca at his best. Forest are averaging the most open-play crosses attempted per 90 (18.86) in the Premier League this season. However, they boast the third worst open play cross accuracy (18.31%) in the division. They need a focal point to get on the end of these balls into the box.
And this is where Lucca comes into effect. Despite a lack of regular action this season, only Duvan Zapata (10) has scored more headed goals than Lucca (8) since the start of the 2023-24 Serie A campaign. 38.1% of his goals in that time have been with his head.
From both open play and set pieces, Forest should benefit from a striker of Lucca’s standing leading the charge. After all, Forest rank fourth bottom for chances created from set pieces (22) and third bottom for goals from deadball situations (5). The addition of Lucca would provide the frontman required to increase the number of chances created and tuck them away in the process.
If Dyche utilises Lucca properly, then Forest will have a very dangerous forward on their hands for the second half of the season. Goals have been an issue for Forest this season. Only Wolves (15) have scored fewer than Dyche’s side (21). Yet if this side plays to Lucca’s strengths, then that number will start to creep up.
