Mikautadze’s 14 goals: from Lyon rejection to Villarreal record signing, targeting lift-off with Iñigo Pérez | OneFootball

Rejected by Lyon at 14 for being too short, Georges Mikautadze joined Villarreal as a record signing last summer and finished as their LaLiga top scorer. From Saint-Priest and Metz, he made it back to Lyon.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, Villarreal paid 30 million euros, a fee that brought instant pressure. Early months were uneven as the team adjusted and Marcelino offered the odd public nudge, yet flashes around the box hinted at a special talent.

His season built slowly. The first league goal arrived on matchday five and he had only two after 14 rounds, but he grew in understanding and confidence, closing with 13 in LaLiga, plus one in the Champions League and another in the Copa del Rey against Ciudad de Lucena.

More than a classic No nine, he drops to link play, turns sharply off a low centre of gravity and carries the ball with purpose. With six assists, he was the forward who created the most goals in LaLiga, and his finishing range included a favoured chip.

There is room for greater influence. At times team-mates did not find him often enough, which could bring anxiety on the ball, but a higher-pressing, faster, style under Iñigo Pérez offers an ideal platform to take another step in 26/27.

His 14 Liga and Champions strikes featured a header to open his Villarreal account against Osasuna, his first Champions League goal against Juventus, a thunderous finish at Real Madrid and a first brace in a 5-1 win.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo