Suppose you were cherry-picking the best attributes from Europe's top attacking players to create the ultimate forward, which elements would you take from each player? Kylian Mbappe's pace? Harry Kane's finishing? Luis Suarez's cunning? From Lionel Messi...well, from Messi you'd just take the whole package and be done with it, but for the purposes of this exercise, let's say his dribbling. As for the left foot, how about Thomas Lemar?
Exhibit A: the exquisite cross with which Lemar set up Bernardo Silva to score in Monaco's 3-0 win at Nancy last season, the ball plucked from Stade Marcel Picot's greasy synthetic surface and tossed onto Silva's head with all the finesse of a Roger Federer half-volley.