Odsonne Édouard

Key strength: Link-up play

Target man

While Paris Saint-Germain dominate headlines, RC Lens are scripting their own fairytale—sitting 2nd in Ligue 1 with a genuine shot at the title. Despite navigating a mixed patch of form recently (WLWDD), Les Sang et Or remain firmly in the race, spearheaded by the clinical Odsonne Édouard. The 28-year-old French striker has rediscovered his predatory touch at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, netting 13 goals and adding 3 assists across 30 appearances—a blistering strike rate of one goal every 129 minutes. Wearing the number 11 shirt, Édouard has become the perfect foil for creative talents around him, embodying Lens's disciplined underdog spirit with just one yellow card to his name. Once a £14m prospect at Celtic and a Crystal Palace mainstay, the 6'2" centre-forward is now proving his class at a modest €3.7 million valuation—a figure that looks increasingly like the bargain of the season. With the campaign entering its decisive phase, Édouard carries the hopes of a city dreaming of the unthinkable.