Roberto De Zerbi, the coach of Olympique de Marseille, has set high expectations for Amine Gouiri for the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season. In a press conference, he clearly stated his desire for the Algerian forward to play as a number 10, meaning a playmaker, while maintaining his goal-scoring efficiency like a number 9. De Zerbi emphasizes that achieving this balance is subtle and requires further work, particularly for Gouiri to become a consistent « sniper » capable of scoring frequently.
This ambition is based on Gouiri’s impressive progress in the second half of the previous season, during which he scored 10 goals in 14 matches across all competitions after transferring to Marseille, breaking records previously held by Didier Drogba. By combining his technical skills, agility, and vision, Gouiri has established himself as a major offensive threat, also providing several assists. His overall involvement in play (13 goals and 5 assists in 33 Ligue 1 matches in the 2024/2025 season) ranks him among the offensive elite of the league with a very high contribution rate per 90 minutes.
The Italian coach sees Gouiri as a potential offensive leader and urges him to take inspiration from a specific model: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. De Zerbi points out that a great champion like Aubameyang excels due to his mental and physical preparation that makes him deadly in front of goal. He encourages Gouiri and his teammate Vaz to « steal this asset » in order to become effective goal scorers who can make a difference and lead Marseille towards ambitious objectives, especially in the Champions League.
With advanced statistics placing Gouiri in the top 1% of Ligue 1 players in terms of non-penalty expected goals (non-penalty xG) and a steady upward trajectory since his professional debut, his performances have already prompted flattering comparisons, such as one made by OM’s sporting director who likened him to Karim Benzema. Thus, the 2025-2026 season will be crucial for Amine Gouiri to confirm his status as an offensive star under De Zerbi’s demanding leadership and elevate Marseille’s ambitions to a higher level.
