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The French top flight, commonly known as Ligue 1, is one of the highest-rated football leagues in European football at the moment. The league has shown an incredible ability to produce outstanding talent which has gone on to perform brilliantly in different theaters across Europe.
Ligue 1 boasts a list of fascinating talents, ranging from the highly-paid superstars at PSG in the French capital to fallen giants Bourdeaux at the bottom of the table. Every season, these talents vie for the recognition and fame that accompanies the Ligue 1 Golden Boot.
Hence, the vast list of candidates has been narrowed to the top five contenders who are most likely to win the Golden Boot. These five players are the ones we believe have the best chance of lifting the prestigious award at the end of the season. So without further ado, here are our five favorites to lift the Ligue 1 golden boot.
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Honorable mentions
Sitting pretty with ten goals from just over 20 games, players like Bordeaux star Hwang Ui-Jo deserve a mention. Like the South Korean international, French stars Randal Kolo Muani and Amine Gouiri both have ten goals, playing for Nantes and Nice respectively.
Young Guinea forward Mohamed Bayo also deserves a shoutout, with the 23-year-old scoring 10 goals for Clermont Foot in just 19 starts. The only other player to reach the double-digit goal milestone is Ludovic Ajorque, who has scored 10 goals for Strasbourg.
#5 Gaetan Laborde | Rennes
While he isn't the only Rennes player to make the list, Gaetan Laborde has certainly gained fans for himself after some brilliant displays this season. The star left Montpellier, where he has garnered three goals in four games, for Rennes, where he has scored 11 times in 23 outings.
The French star is in brilliant form for Rennes, singlehandedly scoring just over a fifth of the club's Ligue 1 goals. His last five games have seen Laborde score a stunning five goals, following a goal and an assist during Lens' 6-0 beating at the hands of Rennes.
If Laborde continues in similar fashion, he will be a strong contender for the Ligue 1 Golden Boot, even if he's ranked fifth at the moment.
#4 Jonathan David | Lille
Although the Canadian international is just 22 years old, he has arguably become the best player in Lille's side. He might not be an all-rounder, but Jonathan David clearly has what it takes to remain in contention for the Golden Boot this season.
Clearly a quality finisher, he has scored three goals for Lille in the Champions League. Although they could be knocked out, he's made his name in Europe's premier competition.
In Ligue 1, the young forward has flourished, scoring 13 goals in just 23 starting appearances. More notably, the star averages just two shots per game, which makes his goalscoring record even more remarkable.
There are already rumors about his potential move to Arsenal or Newcastle, both of which would give him more chances at goal. However, before he potentially leaves, Jonathan David has a strong chance of scoring more goals this season.
#3 Martin Terrier | Rennes
Seeing yet another Rennes player on the list makes it quite clear to see how the club sit in fourth place in Ligue 1. Both Laborde and Terrier have scored a total of 24 goals, nearly 50% of Rennes' 53 goals this season. Notably, only PSG have scored more goals, with a tally of 56. Terrier has enjoyed great form in front of goal for his side, and he doesn't seem to be slowing down.
In his last ten appearances, the star has scored five goals, including a brilliant goal and performance against Brest last month. Terrier has deservedly found himself in Ligue 1's Team of the Week a number of times, which only shows how important he is to Rennes.
Consecutive goals against Montpellier and Troyes have also raised his status, and if he continues in this vein, Terrier could potentially win the Golden Boot this season.
#2 Kylian Mbappe | PSG
It seems like a miracle that the World Cup winner isn't sitting relaxed in pole position in the Golden Boot race, but the dynamics at PSG have changed somewhat.
Prior to this season, the Real Madrid target was PSG's key marksman, actively winning consecutive Golden Boots in Ligue 1. However, integrating Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi into the side has somewhat reduced Kylian Mbappe's overarching influence.
Currently, Mbappe has scored 14 goals in 23 starts for the French giants. This seems like a low, seeing as the star popped 33 goals in 24 starts in 2018/19, as well as 27 goals in 27 starts last season.
However, the star has crossed his assists record, already on 10 Ligue 1 assists for the season. Mbappe will need to improve upon his goalscoring if he is to overtake Wissam Ben Yedder in first place.
#1 Wissam Ben Yedder | Monaco
The star might be turning 32 in a few months, but he has continued to flourish with attacking instincts in the final third. Clearly the best out of the lot, Wissam Ben Yedder has started just 19 Ligue 1 games for Monaco, but he has already scored 15 goals. Ben Yedder could continue in his top form and easily give every other player on this list a run for their money.
His last ten games in all competitions have seen the star pick up two braces, both against Lens - in the Coupe de France - and Clermont Foot in Ligue 1. However, his previous five Ligue 1 games have seen the star score just two goals, which means he needs to sit up to keep Mbappe at bay.
This season could potentially end with the 31-year-old stunning other players and snatching the Golden Boot for himself.
