Ayase Ueda scores on Lille debut to secure Ligue 1 lead

Ayase Ueda scored a decisive goal on his debut for Lille, securing a 1-0 away victory against Toulouse in Ligue 1. After joining from Feyenoord earlier this week for a reported fee of 15 million euros, the 28-year-old Japanese international entered the match in the 57th minute as a substitute for Olivier Giroud. Ueda scored the winning header in the 73rd minute, propelling Lille to the top of the Ligue 1 table.

Lille manager Davide Ancelotti praised the striker, describing him as a ‘natural striker’ with excellent positioning and intelligence in the box. The victory marks a successful start for the new signing, who previously finished as the Eredivisie top scorer with 25 goals last season.

In related transfer news, Feyenoord technical director Devy Rigaux noted that the club could have received 25 million euros from a Turkish club, specifically Fenerbahçe, but respected Ueda’s desire to play in a top-five league. Some journalists have criticized the final sale price to Lille as being too low given the player's profile.