Why Europe’s elite all want Joaquin Panichelli

It’s been roughly five months since the 23-year-old joined BlueCo’s Strasbourg from LaLiga’s Deportivo Alavés, via a season-long loan in the Spanish second flight with CD Mirandés. Now, he’s got some of Europe’s biggest clubs all in a tizzy.

All of this is in stark contrast to Panichelli’s time back in his native land of Argentina. Following a short trial with Boca Juniors, the club were left unimpressed, and let him go, with arch-rivals River Plate picking the striker up and giving him a second chance in Buenos Aires.

Panichelli never made a first-team appearance for River Plate, although he was named in the squad on several occasions. His most notable contribution came with the reserves, where he decided to step in as a goalkeeper when the number one was sent off and his side were out of substitutions. Turns out he’s not too bad at that either, keeping a clean sheet.

When January 2023 rolled around, Alavés took a chance on a striker that had no first-team or even international youth caps under his belt, offering Panichelli a three-and-a-half-year contract. So, he packed his bags and flew across the Atlantic to pursue a dream.

During his first season, 2022/23, he made just four appearances for Alavés, then in LaLiga 2, scoring zero goals. He got more experience in 2023/24, but an ACL injury in a 1-1 draw with Las Palmas ended his campaign, and the club’s faith in him.

The striker, who had no first team goals or assists to his name, was shipped off on loan to CD Mirandés, out of sight and out of mind. Perhaps he needs that fire under his belly, because he went on to have a stormer of a season.

Panichelli chipped in with 21 goals and eight assists in his 44 games across all competitions, as Mirandés narrowly missed out on promotion, losing out to Santi Cazorla’s Real Oviedo in the play-off final. Now they’re without him, the club are in serious danger of getting relegated just 12 games into the season.

Strasbourg swooped, and the rest, as they say, is history. Under Liam Rosenior, Panichelli is showing signs of a top striker; an impressive finisher, he’s got nine Ligue 1 goals from 17 shots on target in his ten games, overperforming his xG by just 0.57, so it’s not like his form is a fluke.

*Panichelli’s shot map in Ligue 1 this season*

It’s not just goals he’s contributing; his defensive output makes him a manager’s dream. Panichelli presses constantly, having won the ball in the final third 12 times, winning nine tackles, and 29 recoveries, the most among his Strasbourg teammates.

He also has what every good striker needs, a nasty streak. Ligue 1 defenders have found out the hard way just how much of a handful Panichelli is, with the Argentinian striker committing 18 fouls, receiving just one booking, however.

The recent 3-3 draw with PSG was probably Panichelli’s best game in a Strasbourg shirt. Lining up against Luis Enrique’s Champions League winning superstars, he didn’t look out of place at all, scoring a brace as Strasbourg went 3-1 up before throwing it all away.

*Panichelli’s player traits comparison – vs. strikers in top five leagues*

Speaking to L’Équipe after the game, Rosenior was in awe: “The header is one of the best that I have seen live,” he said in reference to his first goal where he outjumped Ilia Zabarnyi and thundered his header past Lucas Chevalier.

“The performance was one of the best centre-forward performances I have seen live, and it doesn’t surprise me, because he maximises himself in training every day. He works so hard.

“He has an unbelievable mentality, and he has brought a winning mentality to this group. His goals, the way he took them, was incredible, but he led the line incredibly today, and I was very proud of him.”

Panichelli does love a header. Three of his nine Ligue 1 goals have come off his noggin, standing at a healthy 6’2”, it hard for players that can cross a ball like Diego Moreira and Guéla Doué to miss him.

All of this rolled into one big striker shaped package is what’s keeping Chelsea-bound club captain Emanuel Emegha out of the squad. Funnily enough, Panichelli has also been linked with a move to West London so it may not be for the last time.

Strasbourg fans nearly burned their beautiful city to the ground when Emegha announced he was joining the Premier League side next summer, frustrated with being a ‘feeder club’, so it’s unlikely the same move for Panichelli would go down too well, regardless of what happens on the pitch.

Then there’s Barcelona. In search of a successor to the great Robert Lewandowski, reports out of Spain have linked Hansi Flick’s side with a move for Panichelli as a cheaper alternative to the likes of Harry Kane and Julián Alvarez.

Panichelli, of course, has experience playing in LaLiga, albeit not much. Under Flick, Barcelona could stick a scarecrow up front and he’d still get three goals a season, so he wouldn’t have to worry too much.

*Panichelli’s defensive numbers in Ligue 1 showcase his work rate*

Finally, AC Milan are said to be interested following the disappointment of Santiago Giménez. The Mexican was prolific at Feyenoord but has been unable to translate his fine form to the Serie A, and now Max Allegri is on the lookout for a replacement.

He certainly has the physicality to be a big hit in a league that is infamously more defensive. All those giant centre backs won’t intimidate him one bit but playing for a manager as conservative as Allegri would isolate him and probably hinder more than help.

Strikers like Panichelli are hard to come by in the modern era, if we were to compare him to anyone, it would be Edinson Cavani. Tall, deceptively fast and a lethal finisher. It’s clear that he won’t be at Strasbourg for much longer, unfortunately for them.

One of the continent’s big boys will snap him up, probably at the end of the season, it’s not up to him to prove them right for doing so.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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