Georges Mikautadze

Key strength: Link-up play

Target man

In a La Liga campaign that has seen Villarreal bobbing precariously in 14th place, the Yellow Submarine has found its anchor in attack. Georges Mikautadze, the 25-year-old Georgian centre-forward wearing the storied number 9 shirt, has emerged as the club's lifeline during an erratic recent run of form that reads WLLDW. Across 37 appearances totaling 2,470 minutes, Mikautadze has delivered 12 goals and 5 assists—directly contributing every 147 minutes—while maintaining remarkable discipline with just a single yellow card to his name. Operating as a classic target man with exceptional link-up play ability, the Georgian thrives as the pivot around which creative talents like Alberto Moleiro orbit. His €30 million market value reflects not just his importance to Villarreal's survival, but his growing reputation as one of La Liga's most reliable focal points. When pressure mounts at the Estadio de la Cerámica, Mikautadze's ice-cool temperament may prove the difference between safety and the unthinkable drop.