Maupay Brings Graft Over Goals as Sevilla's New Man Settles In
Neal Maupay has made three appearances for Sevilla since his winter arrival, offering hard work and clever movement — but the goals haven't come yet.
Three games in and Neal Maupay is yet to set La Liga alight — but there’s more to his Sevilla story than the bare stats suggest.
Why Sevilla Went and Got Him
Let’s be honest, Sevilla’s attacking options heading into the second half of the season were looking a bit thin. With only Isaac Romero and Akor Adams as recognised strikers, Matías Almeyda was crying out for reinforcements, and the club dipped into their very limited wage budget to bring in the French forward — a player who’d actually been on their radar since last summer. Maupay, fresh off a quiet spell at Marseille, was the man they landed on.
A Bittersweet Start
His debut had all the makings of a fairytale — he scored a proper worldie in Mallorca — but Sevilla still lost, so the celebrations were short-lived. Since then:
- vs Girona (home): Three shots, none on target. Showed some decent link-up play and clever movement off the ball, but no end product.
- vs Alavés (away): Didn’t manage a single shot, but played a key role in the build-up to Sow’s goal — winning a tough aerial duel on the touchline, quickly throwing the ball in to Adams, and staying involved before the Swiss midfielder finished it off.
Not exactly lighting up the scoresheet, is he.
The Graft You Don’t Always See
Here’s the thing though — Almeyda clearly rates what Maupay brings beyond goals. The Frenchman’s hold-up play, his runs in behind, and his willingness to do the dirty work are all proper striker traits that don’t always show up in the highlights reel. He’s playing his part in a system that now consistently fields two forwards, which gives Almeyda more tactical flexibility.
The knock-on effect on Akor Adams is worth noting too. With Maupay alongside him, the Nigerian has more freedom to drift wide and hold the ball up, which helps Sevilla breathe a bit more in attack. The downside? Adams’ goal threat has dipped slightly since the partnership began, and he’s been caught offside more than Almeyda would like — though that’s gradually improving as the two get used to each other.
The Verdict So Far
Maupay is very much a work in progress at the Sánchez-Pizjuán. He arrived mid-season, hasn’t played regularly in months, and is still finding his feet. For a Sevilla side that’s essentially in survival mode right now, his work ethic and nous are genuinely useful — but they need him getting into the box more and finding the net. Strikers are judged on goals, full stop, and he knows that better than anyone.
Give him a few more weeks to get properly up to speed. The potential’s there — it’s just a matter of whether he can turn the graft into actual goals before the season runs away from them.