Top facts about Khouma Babacar, El Hadji

(March 17, 1993) is a Senegalese footballer playing for

on loan from Sassuolo.

Khouma Babacar’s age

is 27. Here you can find out the most important facts about Khouma Babacar, the striker.

An important fact about Khouma Babacar is that he is a versatile first striker who can also play winger and second striker. Natural right footed, gifted with a powerful and physically strong shot, he has been compared to Didier Drogba, George Weah, and Mario Balotelli for style of play and physical characteristics.

Since January 2022, he has been under contract with the Danish first division club FC Copenhagen. Babacar began his career as a member of US Rail, a club in his hometown of Thiès. He joined Pescara Calcio in Italy in 2007. Fiorentina signed him a year later, beating out other Italian Serie A clubs.

Babacar made his professional debut in the 2009/10 season, under the tutelage of Cesare Prandelli. On January 14, 2010, he made his first team debut as a 16-year-old in the 3-2 win over Chievo Verona in the Coppa Italia round of 16 and celebrated a convincing debut with his important goal to equalize 2-2 in the meantime.

Another important fact about Khouma Babacar is that he made his Serie A debut against Lazio on February 27, 2010. On March 20, 2010, he scored his first league goal in his third game, a 3-0 win over CFC Genoa.

Top facts about Khouma Babacar:

Babacar signed a new five-year contract in Florence in the summer of 2010. He returned to other missions in the following season, 2010/11.

His game-winning goal in the 119th minute of extra time in the third round of the Coppa Italia against FC Empoli, as well as his 1-0 lead in the fourth round a month later, cemented his place in the team.

However, after only making one league appearance in the first half of the 2011/12 season, he was loaned out to Spanish first division club Racing Santander for the remainder of the season. On 11 February 2012, he made his La Liga debut against

.

Khouma Babacar early life

In 2010, he was named to the Spanish magazine Don Balón's list of the best footballers born after 1989. Babacar began his career in the Rail youth academy in Thiès, his hometown.

He trained with the Pescara youth selection during the summer of 2007.

bought him a few months later. There is no information available regarding

Khouma Babacar’s parents

.

Regarding

Khouma Babacar’s childhood

, it should be mentioned that he won the National Allievi Championship with the Lily team in 2008-2009, defeating Inter in the final. He was a permanent member of the Primavera team beginning the following year, when he signed his first professional contract.

Khouma Babacar professional career

Brought to Italy aged 14, Khouma Babacar first joined Delfino Pescara 1936 having been initially offered to the Viola.

Babacar returned to Italy in 2012. He spent the 2012/13 season on loan at Calcio Padova in Serie B, and the following season at FC Modena in the second division.

Babacar left Fiorentina on loan in January 2018 for US Sassuolo Calcio, who took over his transfer rights entirely from Fiorentina in the summer.

He was then loaned to US Lecce for one season beginning in the summer of 2019 and then to Alanyaspor for two seasons. FC Copenhagen, a Danish first division club, signed him to a contract until the summer of 2025 in January 2022.

Khouma Babacar club career

Babacar was added to the Fiorentina first team by Coach Cesare Prandelli during the 2009-2010 season.

Fiorentina

On January 14, 2010, at the age of 16, he made his professional debut, starting and scoring his first goal in the purple shirt in the Coppa Italia Fiorentina - Chievo Verona match (3-2), becoming Fiorentina's youngest player to have scored a goal among professionals.

An important

fact about Khouma Babacar

is that he made his Serie A debut on February 27th, entering the field in the second half of Lazio vs. Fiorentina (1-1) at the Olympic Stadium.

On March 20, at the age of 17, he scored his first Serie A goal against Fiorentina (3-0), becoming the top flight's sixth youngest scorer and the league's youngest foreign scorer. Babacar needed 20 minutes to score this goal.

On July 13, 2010, he extended his contract with the Viola until June 30, 2015. He became a permanent member of the first team in the 2010-2011 season, under the management of new coach Sinia Mihajlovi, wearing the number 9 jersey.

On 26 October, he scored his first goal of the season in the Coppa Italia derby against

(1-0); on 30 November, he scored again, this time as the first goal in Fiorentina's 3-0 victory over Reggina. In 2010-2011, he made 18 league appearances but did not score any goals.

On September 3, 2011, he returned to the Primavera team to play in the Super Cup against Roma, winning 2-3 and scoring once.

Loans to Racing, Padua, and Modena

On January 31, 2012, his transfer to Racing Santander on a costly loan of 350,000 euros became official.  He returns to Fiorentina after eight appearances and zero goals in the Primera División on loan.

On July 11, 2012, the gigliati loaned him to Padova in Serie B. On August 12, he scores his first goal in the Biancoscudata jersey, from a penalty kick, in an Italian Cup match against Pisa.

After a promising start to the season, he suffers an adductor injury on matchday four and is forced to miss several months. He scored his first Serie B goal against Juve Stabia on February 26, 2013.

On August 9, 2013, he goes on loan to Modena. On the second day of the championship, against Varese, he scores his first goal for the Emilians. On the fifth day, he repeats himself by signing a brace against Trapani.

He helps the Modenese, who will not be promoted, qualify for the play-offs with 20 goals in 37 games. Modena exercised its right to redeem the player's co-ownership on June 17, 2014.

Back to Fiorentina

On June 20, Fiorentina exercises its right to counter-redemption by purchasing the entire player's card. In 2014-2015, he scored his first goal of the season on September 28, 2014, in a 1-1 Serie A tie on the Turin pitch.

With a fine shot from 30 meters against Inter on 5 October, he scored the first of three goals for Gigliati, who won 3-0 at home. He scored his first Serie A double on October 29th, in a home win over Udinese.

On 20 April 2015, he suffered a second degree injury to the right medial collateral ligament in a loss to

; the prognosis is 6 weeks. As a result, he finishes the season with 28 appearances and 9 goals. On July 1, 2015, he renewed his contract with the viola until June 30, 2019.

He starts the 2015-2016 season with two decisive goals in his first two league appearances, against Genoa and Carpi, respectively.

He then rebounded by scoring the game-winning goal in the final minutes of Fiorentina's 2-1 victory over Inter on 14 February 2016. He finishes the season with five league goals and two in the Europa League.

In the 2016-2017 season, he made his debut on the fifth day of the championship, in a draw with

, scoring a goal from behind and earning a penalty.

Sassuolo

On January 31, 2018, the last day of the market's winter session, he moved to Sassuolo on loan with a redemption obligation of 9 million euros plus bonuses after scoring four goals in 16 Serie A 2017-2018 matches for Fiorentina in the first half of the season. He has 9 goals in 48 appearances for the neroverdi in a championship and a half.

Lecce and Alanyaspor

On the last day of the summer transfer market session, September 2, 2019, he was loaned from Lecce with the option to buy.

On the eighth matchday of Serie A, on 20 October 2019, at San Siro against Milan (2-2), he scores his first goal with the Salento players, reiterating a rebound by opposing goalkeeper

, who had saved a penalty kick to the Senegalese.

In a season that saw the Salento players relegated to cadet, he only scored three goals in 25 appearances.

Returning to Sassuolo, he moved to Alanyaspor on a temporary basis for eighteen months, with the right of redemption, on 3 September 2020.

On 19 October, at Galatasaray's home in the fifth league, he scores his first goal for the Turkish club, scoring one of the goals that allow the orange-and-greens to win 2-1 on a free kick.

The Turkish club does not exercise the right of redemption on January 10, 2022, and thus the Senegalese striker returns to Sassuolo in advance for the end of the loan, despite having signed 11 goals in 41 appearances in Süper Lig.

Copenhagen

On 21 January 2022, he was loaned with the obligation to buy back to Copenhagen, and he signed a contract that was valid until 30 June 2025.

On his debut, he scored in a 2-0 home win over Milan on February 20. Odense wins the Danish championship at the end of the season.

Khouma Babacar international career

An important

fact about Khouma Babacar

is that he joined the Senegal Under-20 national team in November 2010. He was called up for the first time by the Senegalese national team on March 23, 2015.

On March 27, 2017, he made his senior national team debut in a friendly match against Ivory Coast in London, taking over from Idrissa Gueye at the start of the second half.

This match never ended because the referee suspended it at the 88th minute due to repeated invasions of the pitch by fans who came to watch the game.

Khouma Babacar Fiorentina legacy

Few attackers would be able to wait four years between their first and second league goals for a club, but Khouma El Hadji Babacar and Fiorentina have a particular bond.

An important fact about Khouma Babacar is that he was brought to Italy at the age of 14 and joined Delfino Pescara in 1936 after being offered to the Viola.

When former Fiorentina sports director Pantaleo Corvino finally saw the Senegalese attacker the next year, in 2008, he promptly reversed his judgment, battling off offers for the teenager from European heavyweights Manchester United and

and paid €35,000.

An important fact about Khouma Babacar is that he came in for the injured Giuseppe Rossi and Mario Gomez at the start of the 2014/15 season after spending the previous two seasons on loan, scoring four times in eight games. He scored nine goals in his first season, but knee injuries stopped him from finishing it.

While determined to earn a starting spot the next season, the then-22-year-old returned at a little slower pace than anticipated, with Coach Paulo Sousa opting for a more cautious approach while Babacar completed his recuperation.

Despite this, the precocious striker has been instrumental in Fiorentina's rise to the top of the league, scoring five times in the process.

Babacar's astute ability to score crucial goals for Fiorentina drew more attention and raised expectations as one of the most intriguing young offensive prospects in Serie A.

In January 2016,

and Tottenham were both said to be interested in bringing him to the Premier League to boost their attacking options.

Despite his inability to play regularly for Fiorentina due to injuries, his efforts under Sousa were crucial to the team's daring championship attempt. While on loan at Modena in 2012/13, he scored 20 goals in 41 league appearances, indicating his early promise.

Khouma Babacar style of play

Babacar's height of 6' 3" makes him naturally motivated to employ his strength and force. He is, however, much more than your typical target man.

He has terrific feet for a big guy, can overpower defenses with his stature and raw power, and is more than ready to put in a defensive shift as well, as the old cliché goes.

An important fact about Khouma Babacar is that he is big and powerful, but he isn't your typical number nine. He is, in fact, doing the exact opposite.

A statistical analysis of his game reveals that he is primarily reliant on his technical ability. He's a good dribbler, averaging 0.8 dribbles per game, and he's quite good at getting past guys. His pass average is just 16.2 per game, but he has an incredible 82.4 percent successful completion rate.

Surprisingly, he has an extremely poor win rate in aerial duels. 1.2 aerial duels won per game is not the optimal figure for a striker of his stature. However, owing to the team's style of play, this number is a little misleading.

When he was at Fiorentina, he scored an incredible strong long-range goal against Inter. It demonstrated his abilities and willingness to fire from a long distance. When it comes to shooting, his statistics show that he isn't one to hang around when he's in position to score.

His 2.3 shots per game average should rise in the future, but the fact that a major portion (0.8) of these shots originate from beyond the box indicates that the player is aware of and eager to utilise his strong shot.

However, he should attempt to take use of his good speed and search for depth more frequently, racing in behind defenses and into the box.

Babacar's goal-scoring numbers will have to be replicated at a higher level. It will be critical to have more calm in the penalty box.

An important fact about Khouma Babacar is that he may remain solitary up front since his teammates want to wander. This will assist him in further enhancing his link-up play and ball-holding abilities.

His colossal bulk makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses. As a result, opponents usually seek to foul him in every way possible in order to halt the assault.

He is a true team player who takes his defensive duties seriously. He is a vital player when it comes to defending set-pieces, as seen by his 1.5 average clearances per game.

An important

fact about Khouma Babacar

is that he enjoys making a tackle, which is a quality that should be properly developed and used for the sake of his team. While his competitive spirit may need to be curbed, since he concedes numerous fouls, he is unquestionably the actual first line of defense (2.3 per game).

Some more facts about Khouma Babacar:

An important fact about Khouma Babacar is that he made three appearances for the Senegalese senior team in 2017 after appearing in several youth games.

"Many on Facebook compare myself to [Mario] Balotelli, but I have nothing to do with him," Babacar said, a strong-willed guy who was refreshingly candid to self-criticism and not hesitant in articulating his aspirations to make his own career. “He's Balotelli, and I'm Babacar."

When he initially arrived to Florence, he was known for his bravado, eschewing larger clubs in the process, and it was evident in the way he played the game. Babacar is constantly seeking for a goal and pushing himself ahead, and that tenacity will come in handy as he strives to become a great hotshot.

The job of a centre striker has evolved drastically in recent years, but Babacar has the useful qualities of a strong, accurate long-range shot – as seen by his thundering goal against

– as well as the ability to make intelligent runs behind defenders.

His poacher's talent has developed significantly over the last 18 months, after being questioned about a desire to score 'ugly' goals. Babacar now seems more eager to do the dirty work as well, always creating space and using his speed to dash around the box and tuck away wayward balls.

An important fact about Khouma Babacar is that he is full of exquisite touches and bold shoots, with a playful instinct seeping from his exceptional first touch and tight control, as seen by his successful panenka penalty in a comprehensive victory against Frosinone.

Babacar has failed to make the most of opportunities presented despite being an educated young attacker who is adept at locating spaces in opposing defenses.

He has worked hard to eliminate his previous concentration lapses, but he has yet to truly exhibit the goal-scoring skills that would make a top club yearning for his services.

He must master ball retention and routinely attract team-mates into the game for a player of his height who is generally placed in the center of a roving front three.

While Babacar can be a headache for defenders when he uses his 6ft 3in size to its full potential, he can also be aggressive at times, committing unneeded fouls.

Alberto Bollini, the coach of Fiorentina Primavera, added to the pressure on Babacar by openly comparing him to one of Africa's greatest renowned players,

.

Former first-team coach Vincenzo Montella was a little more hesitant in his praise in 2014, however he did indicate he anticipated big things from the club in the future.

"Babacar is a graduate of our institute. We have a lot of faith in him," the former Roma striker added. "He needs to mature. He still makes too many errors throughout the game, but I sense a limitless potential in him that has yet to be realized."

Khouma Babacar social media

Regarding

Khouma Babacar social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

) with 332k followers. On the page, we can see various pictures of him along with his fans and family.

Khouma Babacar body measurements

Speaking about

Khouma Babacar body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the player is 191cm and 86kg.

Khouma Babacar net worth and salary

Khouma Babacar's net worth

is estimated to be around $8 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.

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