Gaël Kakuta is back at RC Lens, 13 years after leaving it to join Chelsea. The 29-year-old attacking midfielder has joined Les Sang et Or in a loan with an automatic purchase option if Lens remain in Ligue 1. Despite good performances with Amiens, where he was decisive on several occasions, the former Chelsea player was unable to prevent his clubs relegation to Ligue 2.
Lens is the 12th different club from his professional career, having played in England, Netherlands, Spain, Italy and even China. As Lens coach Franck Haise said when introducing his new player, he will give Kakuta an important role in his tactics and will try to make the most of his qualities and creativity. In this tactical analysis, in the form of a scout report, we will look at Kakutas attacking profile and what he can bring to his new team.
Player profile
Left-footed Kakuta played mainly as a number 10 in the 4-2-3-1 tactics of Amiens. The 29-year-old attacking midfielder is versatile in attack and is also capable of playing as a second striker or on the wing (preferably the right-wing). This advanced playmaker position gives him the freedom of movement he needs. Kakuta needs flexibility in order to perform at his best. Well see that later, but what perfectly characterises the former Chelsea player is his ability to surprise defences and be unpredictable. The new Lens player has an above-average technique and is very complete, capable of both creating and finishing. He has scored two goals and given five assists this season in Ligue 1, in a team with offensive difficulties (19th worst xG total in Ligue 1 with 25.62).
His partnership with the powerful striker Serhou Guirassy has done Ligue 1 defences a lot of damage. Kakuta was trying to play around him and take advantage of the fact that his teammate was attracting pressure on him to free himself space. Guirassy was also a good support to combine with Kakuta and was also performing well in his in-depth movements to take advantage of the new Lens players passing quality. The arrival of Ignatius Ganago at Lens will allow him to have an interesting profile in attack, performing well in his off the ball movements and solid in the duel (176cm and 82kg). Kakuta has a very interesting left foot and a large skillset. Lens hasnt been very good at set-pieces this season, and the arrival of a skilled player in this area will do a lot of good.
As you can see on his heatmap, Kakuta regularly roams from his position in areas where he will be more productive. Note that he likes to start from an off-centre position on the right-wing, then cut inside on his left foot. Kakutas attacking contribution can be great in a team that knows how to showcase his qualities and style of play. He rarely drops deep to participate in the build-up but prefers to position himself between the opposing lines and receive the ball in a dangerous area for his opponents.
Its in high areas of the pitch that one notices his qualities, particularly his quick decision-making and execution speed. The former Chelsea player can quickly notice the flaws in the opponents block to position himself or put a partner in a scoring position. Amiens was one of the teams with the lowest average ball possession, at 44.9%. As a result, when he was receiving the ball, Kakuta was expected to make the difference. He will most certainly have this offensive responsibility also at RC Lens and will have to bring creativity to the game.
