One of Arne Slot’s record signings is a striker with more league goals than Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe – but it’s not Alexander Isak.
Feyenoord star Ayase Ueda is mixing it up with the world’s best strikers after scoring an astonishing 19 goals in 21 games in all competitions.
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The Japan international has scored 18 times in just 15 Eredivisie games this season without taking a single penalty.
Ueda was on his way to a 37-minute hat-trick in Feyenoord’s 6-1 win over PEC Zwolle when his side were awarded a penalty.
The 27-year-old allowed Quinten Timber, brother of Arsenal defender Jurrien, to take the penalty before converting two more himself.
With his four goals, Ueda has now scored more goals in the league than Kane, Mbappe and Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland.
Under Robin van Persie, Feyenoord’s No.9 has more than doubled the nine goals he scored in 31 games last season.
Déjà vu for Arne Slot
In each of the two summer windows after winning a league title, Slot broke a club’s transfer record and signed a new striker.
Isak has scored just one goal in 641 minutes since his £125million signing in the Premier League and Champions League Moving from Newcastle.
The Swede was overshadowed by fellow striker Hugo Ekitike, with The Pitch Prospect’s Danny Murphy saying he appeared “weak and wealthy”.
Two years ago, Ueda struggled under slot as a substitute behind Santiago Gimenez following Feyenoord’s Eredivisie triumph in 2023.
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Best goals per 90 for European strikers
Players with more than 10 league goals in Europe’s top leagues
Harry Kane – 1.53
Ayase Ueda – 1.32
Ferran Torres – 1.06
Erling Haaland – 1.05
Kylian Mbappe – 1.03
Ueda has more league goals than Kane, Mbappe and Haaland
Ueda joined Feyenoord on a contract worth up to €10.5m (£9.1m) after scoring 23 goals in his only year at Cercle Brugge.
Despite this, he only started five Eredivisie games in the 2023/24 season, all but one of which came in the final four games of that season.
More than a year later, Ueda needed just five league games to reach his total goalscoring rate of 1,204 minutes under Slot.
“If you look at Ueda, it’s fair to say he was a bit of a slow runner for Feyenoord,” European football expert Andy Brassell told The Pitch Prospect.
“It took a while for that to happen and it took a while for him to be a solid choice in the team.”
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“Now I think the fact that he played more minutes than he has in almost any other season, because he started every game, was a really big deal.”
“But it feels like Ueda has learned to play in this Feyenoord team. By the way, he has some great creative talent around him.”
“Look at Anis Hadj Moussa, Quentin Timber, you have Goncalo Borges, the winger who can also help for him.
“I think that’s an important thing when you look at Ueda’s broad performances, that’s really helped this season, the arrival of Borges was a big thing.”
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“The remarkable thing about him is that he scores many different types of goals. He has that presence in the box.”
“If you look at his size, you wouldn’t say he scores a third of his goals in the air. But he’s a really, really good dominator of those central spaces; he’s a really good header and also able to get back and chase.”
“So he’s actually almost like two strikers in one. I think the way Feyenoord plays and the way they create chances has allowed him to become that type of player.”
“The way he got out of the starting blocks and of course it’s inevitable to mention the way he was coached by Robin Van Persie and that clearly helps.”
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Feyenoord wants to cash in?
De Kuip will find that European clubs will be knocking on their star striker for the second year in a row following Ueda’s form.
Earlier this year, Feyenoord allowed Santiago Gimenez to join AC Milan and the clubs are also expected to make a move on his old teammate.
“There is always a certain question mark hanging over the Eurodivisie strikers because you basically just ask yourself, will you get Van Nistelrooy or Afonso Alves?” Brassell added.
“It is quite difficult to judge whether this scoring success can be transferred to one of Europe’s elite leagues.”
“I could imagine that Ueda is doing well in Spain, but I’m just not really convinced that the money is there for him, just as there isn’t in the Bundesliga.”
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“Leeds is written all over his face”
“I wonder if a Premier League team in the bottom half will have a dart for him next summer or maybe even as early as January, depending on where they are.”
“Leeds kind of has it written all over his face. There’s a lot to like about them, but what are the boys putting them behind?”
“With Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha there are big question marks regarding sustainability over the course of a season.
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“So I’m wondering if they include Ueda and take advantage of the hot hand syndrome. The guy is doing great at the moment.”
“Why don’t we bring him in now and just let him continue this great season, but with us?”
“If you’re Feyenoord and a Premier League club makes a reasonable offer, I think it’s pretty hard to say no.”
“As ambitious as Van Persie may be, I think a big offer is tempting.”
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Premier League transfer in January
Ueda’s former coach Slot recently admitted that part of Isak’s problems is that there is no Jacob Murphy profile in his Liverpool squad.
Luckily, that wouldn’t be a problem for Ueda, who, according to Brassell, “scores all kinds of goals.”
He continued: “If you look at Leeds’ full-backs too, if my name was Ueda I would go in on the first day and make friends with Gabriel Gudmundsson.”
“There are so many opportunities for him – Leeds is just one example.”
“I’m sure there will be a few clubs from the bottom half of the Premier League who have a dart for him come January.”
“I would be really surprised if that wasn’t the case.”