**Leonardo Jardim: Stephan El Shaarawy Not Yet Ready to Lead at Monaco**
Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim has tempered expectations around new signing Stephan El Shaarawy, suggesting the 22-year-old striker is still developing and not yet ready to take on a leadership role within the squad.
El Shaarawy, who joined the Ligue 1 club this summer from AC Milan, has featured in eight league matches but has yet to open his goal-scoring account. Jardim highlighted the striker’s relative inexperience compared to established team leaders like João Moutinho and Jeremy Toulalan.
“A leader? No, for me, leader is a very strong word,” Jardim said at a press conference on Thursday. “If we talk about Moutinho or Toulalan, yes, they are leaders. He’s a young player who is coming along little by little. He hasn’t played much in the last two years. He’s not 100% yet, but he’ll get there. But talking about a leader on the offensive side is a very strong word.”
The Portuguese coach’s remarks underline the challenges El Shaarawy faces in adapting to a new environment and regaining his best form.
—
Let me know if you want me to include more on El Shaarawy’s career background or Monaco’s season so far!
