Diminishing opportuunities: Is Lorient Jordan Ayew's chance to explode?

by Michael Oti Adjei
Many years ago, Abedi Ayew Pele the youngest of his three sons, Jordan Ayew was potentially the best footballer of them all. Many years down the line we are waiting for a realisation of that potential.

Jordan is still on the path to proving that as he attempts to live up to his mega family football name. He must also prove his growing band of critics and doubters wrong.

All three objectives will be high on the agenda at Lorient where a four-year deal has ended a life-long attachment to Olympique Marseille. The Ayews just don't play for the club. They love the club where their father won the European Cup, where Andre was born and still plays and where Jordan has called home since he stepped into his teenage years.

But like his father and senior brother he must step away from the city to realise greatness even if temporarily. Except this time unlike two of his biggest idols in football, his is not a loan move, it is a permanent one.

That the young Ayew has the talent to do at the highest level is a subject open to a lot of debate. Over the last three months, he provided compelling evidence for those who insist he can and enough ammunition for those who say he can't to have a life time debate. He has five goals in 17 caps. There was the hat trick against South Korea in the build up to the 2014 world cup. There were moments in the game against the USA when his raw pace and strength tortured the American backline. Even against Germany for which he is remembered for attempting to score rather than pass, the manner he beat those German players and created the opening provided yet another pointer to his potential. The decision making in that moment is threatening to define him. Too many times he has chosen the wrong option and appeared to aim for personal glory rather than play for the team.

The good thing is that he is still only 22-years. It is no longer young in football terms but Diego Costa and Didier Drogba discovered their best form past that age. The morale of that line is that he will, if he works hard get better.

And that is exactly what he will be seeking to do at Lorient. "The atmosphere is good, the facility is great and you have everything in place to focus on football," he said

"This is the perfect place for me, and I am really looking forward to joining the squad and continue in this competitive championship [Ligue 1].

"All I want to do is give my best to the club and hopefully it will be a successful time for everyone associated with the team."

He will have plenty of support from big brother Andre Ayew, dad Abedi Pele and their strong family network that leaves nothing to chance in the professional lives of the brothers.

Ultimately though, like Dede, it will be down to him. It will be down to whether he really wants this, down to whether he can find the consistency to match the talent and not only deliver them in fleeting moments.

If he manages that then we may well be saying, Abedi Pele was right.