The Summer 2024 scouting thread

jordibwoy said:

Wolves' system is actually interesting as they play with a back 5, but Gary O'Neil has Ait-Nouri invert so he often plays in midfield, sometimes deep with Joao Gomes other times pushed up and in between the lines with Lemina. O'Neil is an interesting manager to follow as you can tell he's fully switched on tactically. Didn't help him today, mind.

Click to expand...

Sounds like he’d be perfect for us then. Though I’m not sure he’s worth what they will want when we already have Udogie.

How about Mats Wieffer for the 6 role?

Been excellent for Feyenoord for a couple of seasons now and performed well in the CL too. His data is excellent both domestically but also in the CL, where he is ranked 99th percentile for ball recoveries.


Could be a Rodri type 6 for us, giving us a more consistent and strong foundation:



What do you think @Ghost Hardware ?

Nick-TopSpursMan said:

How about Mats Wieffer for the 6 role?

Been excellent for Feyenoord for a couple of seasons now and performed well in the CL too. His data is excellent both domestically but also in the CL, where he is ranked 99th percentile for ball recoveries.

Mats Wieffer Scouting Report for Last 365 Days Men's Big 5 Leagues, UCL, UEL | FBref.com

Compare Mats Wieffer to others in passing, goal scoring, attacking, defense and more for the Last 365 Days Men's Big 5 Leagues, UCL, UEL

fbref.com

Could be a Rodri type 6 for us, giving us a more consistent and strong foundation:



What do you think @Ghost Hardware ?

Click to expand...

Gives me the vibe of Sander Berge. We were linked in the past.

Nick-TopSpursMan said:

How about Mats Wieffer for the 6 role?

Been excellent for Feyenoord for a couple of seasons now and performed well in the CL too. His data is excellent both domestically but also in the CL, where he is ranked 99th percentile for ball recoveries.

Mats Wieffer Scouting Report for Last 365 Days Men's Big 5 Leagues, UCL, UEL | FBref.com

Compare Mats Wieffer to others in passing, goal scoring, attacking, defense and more for the Last 365 Days Men's Big 5 Leagues, UCL, UEL

fbref.com

Could be a Rodri type 6 for us, giving us a more consistent and strong foundation:



What do you think @Ghost Hardware ?

Click to expand...

Don't think he's strong enough physically for the Premier League

BorjeSpurs said:

Thoughts on Ait-Nouri as a fullback depth option @Ghost Hardware?

Click to expand...

Sorry for the delayed reply, been lying low this weekend. You know what, I have come to realise I really like Ait-Nour. Every time I have seen him he impresses me. I don't know why but I also thought he was older then 22, I think its the beard. I would say that he has some areas he needs to work on, he is excellent on the ball but his final ball can be a little hit and miss and I do think he is better going forward then he is defensively, he seems natural in the attacking WB role which is what Wolves mostly play. But our FB are practically WB so I don't see it as being a massive problem and Ange has had success at converting them. At only 22 you would think that a lot of his weaknesses would still be able to get ironed out.

I think the only two negatives I can see really are how much he will cost, currently his contract runs until 26 but they have an extra year option. If Wolves sell Neto this summer I could see them digging in their heels price wise with Ait-Nour who supposedly is very happy there. The other question is more of a general one, that being HG and which positions we look for. Selling PEH and replacing him with Grey would be ideal in this regard but unlikely if we are being realistic. Thus one would probably think the back up FB's might be where we look to help us out in this regard. Ether way tho I like the Ait-Nour suggestion. I could certainly see him growing nicely into the role.

Nick-TopSpursMan said:

How about Mats Wieffer for the 6 role?

Been excellent for Feyenoord for a couple of seasons now and performed well in the CL too. His data is excellent both domestically but also in the CL, where he is ranked 99th percentile for ball recoveries.

Mats Wieffer Scouting Report for Last 365 Days Men's Big 5 Leagues, UCL, UEL | FBref.com

Compare Mats Wieffer to others in passing, goal scoring, attacking, defense and more for the Last 365 Days Men's Big 5 Leagues, UCL, UEL

fbref.com

Could be a Rodri type 6 for us, giving us a more consistent and strong foundation:



What do you think @Ghost Hardware ?

Click to expand...

I have to admit that I have a bit of a bias against players in the Eredivisie these days. Its really not fair I know and there have been players coming from significantly weaker leagues then the Eredivisie performing at a high level. I know im being a little closed minded! That being said there are still players here and there I like the look of. For example 18 year old left footed Jorrel Hato at Ajax would probably be one of my pick's for a LCB IF we were in the market for another CB. He looks an impressive talent. But I still find the league can be incredibly deceptive.

My feelings on Wieffer is that I think he would do well from a defensive perspective and he is more mobile then PEH. We also know Slot plays a similarly aggressive system to Ange so he is well adapted to high intensity football. He also has an excellent passing range, in general his ability in this area is probably his strongest attribute in an attacking sense. He is very good at a progressive give and go and has excellent vision that helps getting the ball up the pitch and into dangerous area's. My concern with him is how he would cope receiving the ball from the back line under pressure in the PL. I have never been that overly impressed with his technique with ball at his feet, stats wise he is certainly solid in this area but watching him I just wonder if the intensity of the PL in that regard might cause him some problems that he might not be able to adjust to. He does have a good first touch and he does use it well to set up the next pass and to move away from danger I just don't know if he is strong enough dribbler for us. For me the ability to move out of pressure with the ball at your feet is vital for the DM role in our system. The gap in pace, space allowed and intensity between the Eredivisie and the PL is so monumental that this sort of thing can cause players a lot of issues once they move.

Tbh he's one I'm on the fence with Wieffer. I know Barca, Atleti and Utd i think have been linked but i'm just not sure how he would translate his skills to the PL. From a physical stand point I think he would have no issues as he's big guy but I don't know if the aggressive nature of the league might stifle his strengths. Certainly an intriguing option tho who if he could adapt to the league would be be a strong addition.

I've recently had a chance to watch some Fenerbache games/highlights with a new Turkish friend. Crazy football, but Szymanski looks amazing! I know we've scouted him a few times - as have Arsenal. He would be great in the PL. He makes decisions really quickly, has excellent touch/balance and can score freaking worldies! Maybe competition for Madders if Lo Celso moves on?

Ederson, Atalanta.... Talk to me!

Sorry for the very long post but figured it's the scouting thread so wouldn't be so much an issue especially with it being international week

I've mentioned before that Turkey has a very exciting crop of upcoming young talents so figure I would highlight three which we should be keeping an eye on. Arda Güler is now very much the poster boy for the new generation of players coming through the ranks and since I first mentioned him in an older version of this thread has made a move to Madrid causing more eyes to look at what else Turkey has cooking. He had a a difficult start to his time there with a nasty injury and limited game time but he is starting to get more minutes. After bagging his first goal in the game prior he was in the news last weekend for hitting the crossbar from the halfway line, the kid has some balls. Whilst I think Arda (in Turkey they tend to refer to players by their first name) is probably the player with the biggest potential from the upcoming crop, he really is an incredible talent, I do think there are some who look very exciting indeed. I am going to cheat somewhat as two of the three I mention bellow were technically raised in the German system but both of them have chosen to represent Turkey so i'm picking them regardless.

Semih Kılıçsoy - Beşiktaş - 18 - CF/LWF

As I have mentioned before I have a friend who lives in Istanbul and is an avid Football fan. We often chat about players breaking through that look special. He regularly goes to Fenerbahçe games as that is the team he follows and in general keeps a keen eye on talent in the league. He was the person who originally mentioned Arda to me as one to watch before he had broken into the first team at Fenerbahçe. A few months ago he told me I had to keep an eye on Semih at Beşiktaş, currently he is being talked up as being the most exciting young talent in the league by some distance and that to him he looked like a very special talent. After watching him a few times I can understand why he told me to watch him.

Already a regular starter for Beşiktaş stylistically he is quite similar to Aguero, there is even a "The Turkish Aguero" Youtube video comp out there. Normally these sort of sensationalist titles are rather wide of the mark with their comparison but in this case it might no be so farfetched. Given his size, build, finishing ability and low centre of gravity when running with the ball the comparison is understandable.

Semih is a very technically gifted young forward who is a strong powerful runner and excellent dribbler. He's probably a better dibbler then Aguero was at a similar age and its because of his ability on the ball he has often been played out on the left wing. But make no mistake, CF is where he is best and clearly his natural position but he does have the versatility to play out wide. He is naturally right footed but really is pretty two footed and he has excellent shooting technique with both feet. Not only that he has also played as an AM in the past as he has a bit of a playmaker about him. I have never seen him at AM tho, I have read reports but can't attest to how good or bad he is there, but he does like to get involved in the build up phase rather then just waiting for the ball to come to him when playing CF. He does seem to posses good vision tho. But this doesn't mean he operates as a false 9 when starting as a CF, he still likes leading the line he just doesn't like being a passenger. He is competent at both dropping or running in behind which makes him hard to pin down from a defensive perspective.

As I mentioned he has often been played on the wing by Beşiktaş and thats due to his pace, exceptional dribbling abilities and vision but he is better as a striker IMO. My friend was saying a few Beşiktaş fans are unhappy that he has been shunted out wide at times to accommodated Tosun and would prefer to keep Semih up top as that is the place he will long term play. He actually has more goals in fewer games from the wing then at CF 5 in 9 vs 4 in 11 but his lower numbers at CF are as much to do with the players around him not giving him the support needed.

Defensively I did read one report suggesting he didn't press much but watching him I don't think thats actually particularly accurate. The games I have watched of him he certainly was putting pressure on and getting stuck in with a tackle. If anything one of the things that has always made me concerned about a lot of young Turkish talent is that whilst they are very technical with the ball at their feet its the effort they put in without the ball that is often significantly lacking. That isn't the case with Semih IMO, from what i have seen at least.

What I would say tho on a negative side is that he does have a habit of holding onto the ball too long and overplaying. As I mentioned he has exceptional dribbling ability for a CF but he will sometimes think he can take on the whole defence and this can be an issue and cause an attack to break down. He isn''t a ball hog, he will pass and does have good vision as previously stated its just sometimes he will overplay it. He will also sometimes snatches at chances and doesn't take the time to set himself properly. Neither are hardly a major issue for someone so young tho and somewhat understandable from a young player trying to impress. I am also trying to be extra critical here and nitpick a little.

From a physical stand points he will certainly use his strength to hold onto the ball. He is a stocky lad. This was my only concern about Arda, as much as he had simply phenomenal ability on the ball he has quite a skinny/slight frame and I was concerned if he would be able to adapt the physicality of the PL. This is not a concern I would have Semih. This kid is strong and will happily go shoulder to shoulder.

Anyway, I don't want to big him up too much. This is his breakthrough season and thus far he has 9 in 17 league games. He is by no means a finished article in any way shape or form. But IMO he is a very exciting talent none the less, watching him you can see why so many are so excited by him. If he finishes the season with the same level of performances he has been putting in thus far I reckon someone from Europe will pick him up probably for a bargain. Certainly a kid that I think would suit our system well even tho he wouldn't offer much of an arial threat. He certainly looks a very exciting prospect IMO




Kenan Yildiz - Juventus - 18 - LWF/AM/SS

For those of you who read any of my posts in the January transfer section might have seen me mention Kenan a lot. Kenan actually came up though the BM youth system from the age of 7 which is probably one reason that despite his limited game time he has looked so tactically assured when on the pitch. BM did try to extend his contract but they couldn't pursued him and with Barca and Juve fighting over his sig he thought he would have a more straightforward shot at breaking into the first team at Juve then anywhere else. so he joined them in 22 and BM were certainly disappointed to loose him.

In regards to the style of play Kenan can pretty much player anywhere on the left side of the pitch. He will look just as natural hugging the touchline as he will drifting in between the left half spaces. Juventus play with a 352 formation, normally with Chiesa and Vlahovic up top but Kenan has been deputising for Chiesa when the latter is injured and will play a similar role to him when on the pitch which is essentially that of an second striker who will also drop deep to get involved with the build up whilst also drifting wide to spread the play. I am not sure the SS role really suits him as I think he would fit better as a IF or AM but ether way he has impressed.

From an ability point of view he has very quick feet and has no problem wriggling between defenders. He is very good at picking up the ball on the half turn as he has great balance and his excellent acceleration from a standing start allows him to pick up the ball and create attacking openings from nothing even if he is under pressure. In regards to pace he is reasonably quick but I wouldn't say he is a speed winger, as I said his acceleration is very impressive and he uses it to great effect when standing up a full back/defender. He certainly isn't slow tho and he is very direct. When he gets the ball his first instinct is to take it forward with haste.

I think one thing I would say is that he need's to work on in a dribbling sense is his confidence on weaker left foot. He actually has a good left foot and will use it to go outside 1v1 when sitting out wide but he doesn't do it enough. The ability is most certainly there it's just he doesn't use it as often as he should. He is very good 1v1 and I wouldn't say he is predictable like Kulu but if he would go outside more regularly he would be incredibly good, its just something he needs to learn to get more comfortable doing.

I say all that but his ability on the ball is by far his strongest trait, he really is excellent at moving the ball up the pitch and even through a pact midfield. For someone only 18 he is also physically strong, he is a tall lad, and doesn't get pushed off the ball easily. He has no issues with the physical side of the game. Although I would add he has very good shooting technique with a good verity of finishes in his locker but I think he needs to work on his confidence from outside or on the edge of the box. I think he has the ability from there but he will sometimes get in to a good position and refrain from shooting even if the opportunity is there and instead will cut back or lay it off. He has the ability to be a very good goalscorer but In general I think he needs to work on his decision making inside the box as he will sometimes pick the wrong option.

As a passer he is solid but maybe a little unadventurous. He will play the odd incisive pass but not with enough regularity and I think its an area he could afford to take more risk with. Considering his ability on the ball if he could try to be more adventurous I think he would become somewhat unstoppable as an attacking player. To add tho, his passing technique isn't bad and I actually think he does have the vision, he can and has played cutting though balls its just not a big enough part of his game especially when he is playing more central.

I think he has exceptional raw ability he just needs to build on his confidence in certain areas to get them up to the level of his dribbling. Juve play more of a counter system which relies on speedy transition which Kenan can play well but I also think he would suit a possession based system well. I do think a change of system would help him to fully realise his potential.

A bit like Semih he can suffer from tunnel vision as times and could maybe afford to get his head up a little more when attacking the box. But for only 18 I really think Kenan Yildiz is a big big talent who has a incredible amount of potential. He really is one of the biggest rising stars in his position/age bracket currently in Europe. Already he is being strongly tracked by the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal. Buying him would probably be unrealistic for us as Juve would rightly want a very large fee for him, I've seen 50 mil mentioned which wouldn't surprise me. So far this season he has 5 goals in 21 games but only 8 of those were starts. I fully expect there to be a lot of interest in him this summer and with Juve needing money they may well end up having to cash in. They won't want to tho and I think they will sell Soulé and Chiesa first, not because ether is worse but because Soulé doesn't have a role in the current set up and Juve don't have the coin to renew Chiesa's contract. IMO Kenan probably stays for another season at least but personally I really don't think Allegri's tactics will make the most of his ability and I would really like to see him move to a team that play possession football... please not Arsenal tho. Ether way i'm a big fan of his and look forward to see how he develops.




Can Uzun - 1. FC Nürnberg - 18 - AM/SS/CF

Last up Can Uzun. WIth Nürnberg being slap bang in the middle of the Bundesliga 2 league Can Uzun is by far the the one player I have seen least of out of the three but I felt i should include him on the list due to the huge amount of hype he is currently generating. I will keep it brief tho as I don't want to pretend I know more about him then I do. As I mentioned there is already a lot of talk about this kid and for good reason it seems, at the age of 18 and mostly playing as a second striker (he has 8 starts at CF compared to 16 at AM/SS) he has scored a total of 16 goals in 25 games. He also became the youngest player ever to score a hat trick in the DFB Pokal (league cup). This impressive display has resulted in him getting his first call up for the senior team in the upcoming Internationals. Already there is a tug of ware amongst top Bundesliga teams vying for his signature, BVB were extremely interested but according to Bild he is on the verge of signing for Eintracht Frankfurt. Apparently BM even had interest in him last summer but he decided to stay as he was going to be given first team football which he deemed more valuable. Wise choice it seems. Whats for sure is if they don't tie him up soon I'm sure more teams will start sniffing. Newcastle were also linked but how real their interest actually was is anyones guess.

Much like Kenan at BM, Can Uzun came up though the ranks at Nürnberg and after impressing at every youth level was fast tracked into the first team. He was only 17 when he started getting minutes this season. Nürnberg play a 4321 formation and Can plays on the left of the attacking 2 behind the CF. From the little i have seen and the scout reports I have read he is very much a natural second striker, whilst he has played CF he is much more comfortable dropping deep then making runs in behind. He has an exceptional shot on him which is backed up by his very impressive XG. He is also a strong nimble dribbler who is hard to get off the ball and I think its the combination of excellent finishing and ball retention that has made him such a big threat. He is also very very two footed which coupled with his very good technique makes him a incredibly elusive character in the final third. He loves putting players on the back foot by running at them and due to his two footed nature and exceptional close control you can see the opposition panic when he is running at them.

On the flip side he is almost none existent defensively. I presume this is somewhat a tactical decision by Cristian Fiél who leaves Can to just concentrate on his attacking responsibilities but that also might be due to his inability to do it. When he does try to engage he is completely ineffective to the point I have seen one report calling him a "training cone". Ether way In regards to numbers it is clearly a tactic that works in an attacking sense but one wonders what happens when he does move to a system that will require that from him. it could be a hard learning curve when he steps up to his next club. He is a big lad tho and has no issues being physical when in possession of the ball so one would assume it's something that he can learn at least to a basic level. Might take some coaching but will probably be necessary if he hopes to play for the top teams.

I don't think he is one that would suit our system as he is most natural as a SS and his poor defensive ability makes it a write off anyway. Ironically I think he might actually suit Juve's current tactics. BUT I do think from the little I have seen and read that he is a very exciting young talent who has a lot of potential and one who it will be interesting to see develop which is why I added him to the list. Bellow I will link one of a few scout reports which has video's to highlight each point made for those that want to read up in more detail about him, there are a few out, and a highlight vid.

Anyway, thanks for reading.

Ghost Hardware said:

Sorry for the very long post but figured it's the scouting thread so wouldn't be so much an issue especially with it being international week

I've mentioned before that Turkey has a very exciting crop of upcoming young talents so figure I would highlight three which we should be keeping an eye on. Arda Güler is now very much the poster boy for the new generation of players coming through the ranks and since I first mentioned him in an older version of this thread has made a move to Madrid causing more eyes to look at what else Turkey has cooking. He had a a difficult start to his time there with a nasty injury and limited game time but he is starting to get more minutes. After bagging his first goal in the game prior he was in the news last weekend for hitting the crossbar from the halfway line, the kid has some balls. Whilst I think Arda (in Turkey they tend to refer to players by their first name) is probably the player with the biggest potential from the upcoming crop, he really is an incredible talent, I do think there are some who look very exciting indeed. I am going to cheat somewhat as two of the three I mention bellow were technically raised in the German system but both of them have chosen to represent Turkey so i'm picking them regardless.

Semih Kılıçsoy - Beşiktaş - 18 - CF/LWF

As I have mentioned before I have a friend who lives in Istanbul and is an avid Football fan. We often chat about players breaking through that look special. He regularly goes to Fenerbahçe games as that is the team he follows and in general keeps a keen eye on talent in the league. He was the person who originally mentioned Arda to me as one to watch before he had broken into the first team at Fenerbahçe. A few months ago he told me I had to keep an eye on Semih at Beşiktaş, currently he is being talked up as being the most exciting young talent in the league by some distance and that to him he looked like a very special talent. After watching him a few times I can understand why he told me to watch him.

Already a regular starter for Beşiktaş stylistically he is quite similar to Aguero, there is even a "The Turkish Aguero" Youtube video comp out there. Normally these sort of sensationalist titles are rather wide of the mark with their comparison but in this case it might no be so farfetched. Given his size, build, finishing ability and low centre of gravity when running with the ball the comparison is understandable.

Semih is a very technically gifted young forward who is a strong powerful runner and excellent dribbler. He's probably a better dibbler then Aguero was at a similar age and its because of his ability on the ball he has often been played out on the left wing. But make no mistake, CF is where he is best and clearly his natural position but he does have the versatility to play out wide. He is naturally right footed but really is pretty two footed and he has excellent shooting technique with both feet. Not only that he has also played as an AM in the past as he has a bit of a playmaker about him. I have never seen him at AM tho, I have read reports but can't attest to how good or bad he is there, but he does like to get involved in the build up phase rather then just waiting for the ball to come to him when playing CF. He does seem to posses good vision tho. But this doesn't mean he operates as a false 9 when starting as a CF, he still likes leading the line he just doesn't like being a passenger. He is competent at both dropping or running in behind which makes him hard to pin down from a defensive perspective.

As I mentioned he has often been played on the wing by Beşiktaş and thats due to his pace, exceptional dribbling abilities and vision but he is better as a striker IMO. My friend was saying a few Beşiktaş fans are unhappy that he has been shunted out wide at times to accommodated Tosun and would prefer to keep Semih up top as that is the place he will long term play. He actually has more goals in fewer games from the wing then at CF 5 in 9 vs 4 in 11 but his lower numbers at CF are as much to do with the players around him not giving him the support needed.

Defensively I did read one report suggesting he didn't press much but watching him I don't think thats actually particularly accurate. The games I have watched of him he certainly was putting pressure on and getting stuck in with a tackle. If anything one of the things that has always made me concerned about a lot of young Turkish talent is that whilst they are very technical with the ball at their feet its the effort they put in without the ball that is often significantly lacking. That isn't the case with Semih IMO, from what i have seen at least.

What I would say tho on a negative side is that he does have a habit of holding onto the ball too long and overplaying. As I mentioned he has exceptional dribbling ability for a CF but he will sometimes think he can take on the whole defence and this can be an issue and cause an attack to break down. He isn''t a ball hog, he will pass and does have good vision as previously stated its just sometimes he will overplay it. He will also sometimes snatches at chances and doesn't take the time to set himself properly. Neither are hardly a major issue for someone so young tho and somewhat understandable from a young player trying to impress. I am also trying to be extra critical here and nitpick a little.

From a physical stand points he will certainly use his strength to hold onto the ball. He is a stocky lad. This was my only concern about Arda, as much as he had simply phenomenal ability on the ball he has quite a skinny/slight frame and I was concerned if he would be able to adapt the physicality of the PL. This is not a concern I would have Semih. This kid is strong and will happily go shoulder to shoulder.

Anyway, I don't want to big him up too much. This is his breakthrough season and thus far he has 9 in 17 league games. He is by no means a finished article in any way shape or form. But IMO he is a very exciting talent none the less, watching him you can see why so many are so excited by him. If he finishes the season with the same level of performances he has been putting in thus far I reckon someone from Europe will pick him up probably for a bargain. Certainly a kid that I think would suit our system well even tho he wouldn't offer much of an arial threat. He certainly looks a very exciting prospect IMO




Kenan Yildiz - Juventus - 18 - LWF/AM/SS

For those of you who read any of my posts in the January transfer section might have seen me mention Kenan a lot. Kenan actually came up though the BM youth system from the age of 7 which is probably one reason that despite his limited game time he has looked so tactically assured when on the pitch. BM did try to extend his contract but they couldn't pursued him and with Barca and Juve fighting over his sig he thought he would have a more straightforward shot at breaking into the first team at Juve then anywhere else. so he joined them in 22 and BM were certainly disappointed to loose him.

In regards to the style of play Kenan can pretty much player anywhere on the left side of the pitch. He will look just as natural hugging the touchline as he will drifting in between the left half spaces. Juventus play with a 352 formation, normally with Chiesa and Vlahovic up top but Kenan has been deputising for Chiesa when the latter is injured and will play a similar role to him when on the pitch which is essentially that of an second striker who will also drop deep to get involved with the build up whilst also drifting wide to spread the play. I am not sure the SS role really suits him as I think he would fit better as a IF or AM but ether way he has impressed.

From an ability point of view he has very quick feet and has no problem wriggling between defenders. He is very good at picking up the ball on the half turn as he has great balance and his excellent acceleration from a standing start allows him to pick up the ball and create attacking openings from nothing even if he is under pressure. In regards to pace he is reasonably quick but I wouldn't say he is a speed winger, as I said his acceleration is very impressive and he uses it to great effect when standing up a full back/defender. He certainly isn't slow tho and he is very direct. When he gets the ball his first instinct is to take it forward with haste.

I think one thing I would say is that he need's to work on in a dribbling sense is his confidence on weaker left foot. He actually has a good left foot and will use it to go outside 1v1 when sitting out wide but he doesn't do it enough. The ability is most certainly there it's just he doesn't use it as often as he should. He is very good 1v1 and I wouldn't say he is predictable like Kulu but if he would go outside more regularly he would be incredibly good, its just something he needs to learn to get more comfortable doing.

I say all that but his ability on the ball is by far his strongest trait, he really is excellent at moving the ball up the pitch and even through a pact midfield. For someone only 18 he is also physically strong, he is a tall lad, and doesn't get pushed off the ball easily. He has no issues with the physical side of the game. Although I would add he has very good shooting technique with a good verity of finishes in his locker but I think he needs to work on his confidence from outside or on the edge of the box. I think he has the ability from there but he will sometimes get in to a good position and refrain from shooting even if the opportunity is there and instead will cut back or lay it off. He has the ability to be a very good goalscorer but In general I think he needs to work on his decision making inside the box as he will sometimes pick the wrong option.

As a passer he is solid but maybe a little unadventurous. He will play the odd incisive pass but not with enough regularity and I think its an area he could afford to take more risk with. Considering his ability on the ball if he could try to be more adventurous I think he would become somewhat unstoppable as an attacking player. To add tho, his passing technique isn't bad and I actually think he does have the vision, he can and has played cutting though balls its just not a big enough part of his game especially when he is playing more central.

I think he has exceptional raw ability he just needs to build on his confidence in certain areas to get them up to the level of his dribbling. Juve play more of a counter system which relies on speedy transition which Kenan can play well but I also think he would suit a possession based system well. I do think a change of system would help him to fully realise his potential.

A bit like Semih he can suffer from tunnel vision as times and could maybe afford to get his head up a little more when attacking the box. But for only 18 I really think Kenan Yildiz is a big big talent who has a incredible amount of potential. He really is one of the biggest rising stars in his position/age bracket currently in Europe. Already he is being strongly tracked by the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal. Buying him would probably be unrealistic for us as Juve would rightly want a very large fee for him, I've seen 50 mil mentioned which wouldn't surprise me. So far this season he has 5 goals in 21 games but only 8 of those were starts. I fully expect there to be a lot of interest in him this summer and with Juve needing money they may well end up having to cash in. They won't want to tho and I think they will sell Soulé and Chiesa first, not because ether is worse but because Soulé doesn't have a role in the current set up and Juve don't have the coin to renew Chiesa's contract. IMO Kenan probably stays for another season at least but personally I really don't think Allegri's tactics will make the most of his ability and I would really like to see him move to a team that play possession football... please not Arsenal tho. Ether way i'm a big fan of his and look forward to see how he develops.




Can Uzun - 1. FC Nürnberg - 18 - AM/SS/CF

Last up Can Uzun. WIth Nürnberg being slap bang in the middle of the Bundesliga 2 league Can Uzun is by far the the one player I have seen least of out of the three but I felt i should include him on the list due to the huge amount of hype he is currently generating. I will keep it brief tho as I don't want to pretend I know more about him then I do. As I mentioned there is already a lot of talk about this kid and for good reason it seems, at the age of 18 and mostly playing as a second striker (he has 8 starts at CF compared to 16 at AM/SS) he has scored a total of 16 goals in 25 games. He also became the youngest player ever to score a hat trick in the DFB Pokal (league cup). This impressive display has resulted in him getting his first call up for the senior team in the upcoming Internationals. Already there is a tug of ware amongst top Bundesliga teams vying for his signature, BVB were extremely interested but according to Bild he is on the verge of signing for Eintracht Frankfurt. Apparently BM even had interest in him last summer but he decided to stay as he was going to be given first team football which he deemed more valuable. Wise choice it seems. Whats for sure is if they don't tie him up soon I'm sure more teams will start sniffing. Newcastle were also linked but how real their interest actually was is anyones guess.

Much like Kenan at BM, Can Uzun came up though the ranks at Nürnberg and after impressing at every youth level was fast tracked into the first team. He was only 17 when he started getting minutes this season. Nürnberg play a 4321 formation and Can plays on the left of the attacking 2 behind the CF. From the little i have seen and the scout reports I have read he is very much a natural second striker, whilst he has played CF he is much more comfortable dropping deep then making runs in behind. He has an exceptional shot on him which is backed up by his very impressive XG. He is also a strong nimble dribbler who is hard to get off the ball and I think its the combination of excellent finishing and ball retention that has made him such a big threat. He is also very very two footed which coupled with his very good technique makes him a incredibly elusive character in the final third. He loves putting players on the back foot by running at them and due to his two footed nature and exceptional close control you can see the opposition panic when he is running at them.

On the flip side he is almost none existent defensively. I presume this is somewhat a tactical decision by Cristian Fiél who leaves Can to just concentrate on his attacking responsibilities but that also might be due to his inability to do it. When he does try to engage he is completely ineffective to the point I have seen one report calling him a "training cone". Ether way In regards to numbers it is clearly a tactic that works in an attacking sense but one wonders what happens when he does move to a system that will require that from him. it could be a hard learning curve when he steps up to his next club. He is a big lad tho and has no issues being physical when in possession of the ball so one would assume it's something that he can learn at least to a basic level. Might take some coaching but will probably be necessary if he hopes to play for the top teams.

I don't think he is one that would suit our system as he is most natural as a SS and his poor defensive ability makes it a write off anyway. Ironically I think he might actually suit Juve's current tactics. BUT I do think from the little I have seen and read that he is a very exciting young talent who has a lot of potential and one who it will be interesting to see develop which is why I added him to the list. Bellow I will link one of a few scout reports which has video's to highlight each point made for those that want to read up in more detail about him, there are a few out, and a highlight vid.

Anyway, thanks for reading.

Can Uzun

Can Uzun is a future Turkish international & one of the most fascinating talents in the 2023/24 2. Bundesliga season.

medium.com

Click to expand...

These posts really do make the Scouting thread!

Ghost Hardware said:

Sorry for the very long post but figured it's the scouting thread so wouldn't be so much an issue especially with it being international week

I've mentioned before that Turkey has a very exciting crop of upcoming young talents so figure I would highlight three which we should be keeping an eye on. Arda Güler is now very much the poster boy for the new generation of players coming through the ranks and since I first mentioned him in an older version of this thread has made a move to Madrid causing more eyes to look at what else Turkey has cooking. He had a a difficult start to his time there with a nasty injury and limited game time but he is starting to get more minutes. After bagging his first goal in the game prior he was in the news last weekend for hitting the crossbar from the halfway line, the kid has some balls. Whilst I think Arda (in Turkey they tend to refer to players by their first name) is probably the player with the biggest potential from the upcoming crop, he really is an incredible talent, I do think there are some who look very exciting indeed. I am going to cheat somewhat as two of the three I mention bellow were technically raised in the German system but both of them have chosen to represent Turkey so i'm picking them regardless.

Semih Kılıçsoy - Beşiktaş - 18 - CF/LWF

As I have mentioned before I have a friend who lives in Istanbul and is an avid Football fan. We often chat about players breaking through that look special. He regularly goes to Fenerbahçe games as that is the team he follows and in general keeps a keen eye on talent in the league. He was the person who originally mentioned Arda to me as one to watch before he had broken into the first team at Fenerbahçe. A few months ago he told me I had to keep an eye on Semih at Beşiktaş, currently he is being talked up as being the most exciting young talent in the league by some distance and that to him he looked like a very special talent. After watching him a few times I can understand why he told me to watch him.

Already a regular starter for Beşiktaş stylistically he is quite similar to Aguero, there is even a "The Turkish Aguero" Youtube video comp out there. Normally these sort of sensationalist titles are rather wide of the mark with their comparison but in this case it might no be so farfetched. Given his size, build, finishing ability and low centre of gravity when running with the ball the comparison is understandable.

Semih is a very technically gifted young forward who is a strong powerful runner and excellent dribbler. He's probably a better dibbler then Aguero was at a similar age and its because of his ability on the ball he has often been played out on the left wing. But make no mistake, CF is where he is best and clearly his natural position but he does have the versatility to play out wide. He is naturally right footed but really is pretty two footed and he has excellent shooting technique with both feet. Not only that he has also played as an AM in the past as he has a bit of a playmaker about him. I have never seen him at AM tho, I have read reports but can't attest to how good or bad he is there, but he does like to get involved in the build up phase rather then just waiting for the ball to come to him when playing CF. He does seem to posses good vision tho. But this doesn't mean he operates as a false 9 when starting as a CF, he still likes leading the line he just doesn't like being a passenger. He is competent at both dropping or running in behind which makes him hard to pin down from a defensive perspective.

As I mentioned he has often been played on the wing by Beşiktaş and thats due to his pace, exceptional dribbling abilities and vision but he is better as a striker IMO. My friend was saying a few Beşiktaş fans are unhappy that he has been shunted out wide at times to accommodated Tosun and would prefer to keep Semih up top as that is the place he will long term play. He actually has more goals in fewer games from the wing then at CF 5 in 9 vs 4 in 11 but his lower numbers at CF are as much to do with the players around him not giving him the support needed.

Defensively I did read one report suggesting he didn't press much but watching him I don't think thats actually particularly accurate. The games I have watched of him he certainly was putting pressure on and getting stuck in with a tackle. If anything one of the things that has always made me concerned about a lot of young Turkish talent is that whilst they are very technical with the ball at their feet its the effort they put in without the ball that is often significantly lacking. That isn't the case with Semih IMO, from what i have seen at least.

What I would say tho on a negative side is that he does have a habit of holding onto the ball too long and overplaying. As I mentioned he has exceptional dribbling ability for a CF but he will sometimes think he can take on the whole defence and this can be an issue and cause an attack to break down. He isn''t a ball hog, he will pass and does have good vision as previously stated its just sometimes he will overplay it. He will also sometimes snatches at chances and doesn't take the time to set himself properly. Neither are hardly a major issue for someone so young tho and somewhat understandable from a young player trying to impress. I am also trying to be extra critical here and nitpick a little.

From a physical stand points he will certainly use his strength to hold onto the ball. He is a stocky lad. This was my only concern about Arda, as much as he had simply phenomenal ability on the ball he has quite a skinny/slight frame and I was concerned if he would be able to adapt the physicality of the PL. This is not a concern I would have Semih. This kid is strong and will happily go shoulder to shoulder.

Anyway, I don't want to big him up too much. This is his breakthrough season and thus far he has 9 in 17 league games. He is by no means a finished article in any way shape or form. But IMO he is a very exciting talent none the less, watching him you can see why so many are so excited by him. If he finishes the season with the same level of performances he has been putting in thus far I reckon someone from Europe will pick him up probably for a bargain. Certainly a kid that I think would suit our system well even tho he wouldn't offer much of an arial threat. He certainly looks a very exciting prospect IMO




Kenan Yildiz - Juventus - 18 - LWF/AM/SS

For those of you who read any of my posts in the January transfer section might have seen me mention Kenan a lot. Kenan actually came up though the BM youth system from the age of 7 which is probably one reason that despite his limited game time he has looked so tactically assured when on the pitch. BM did try to extend his contract but they couldn't pursued him and with Barca and Juve fighting over his sig he thought he would have a more straightforward shot at breaking into the first team at Juve then anywhere else. so he joined them in 22 and BM were certainly disappointed to loose him.

In regards to the style of play Kenan can pretty much player anywhere on the left side of the pitch. He will look just as natural hugging the touchline as he will drifting in between the left half spaces. Juventus play with a 352 formation, normally with Chiesa and Vlahovic up top but Kenan has been deputising for Chiesa when the latter is injured and will play a similar role to him when on the pitch which is essentially that of an second striker who will also drop deep to get involved with the build up whilst also drifting wide to spread the play. I am not sure the SS role really suits him as I think he would fit better as a IF or AM but ether way he has impressed.

From an ability point of view he has very quick feet and has no problem wriggling between defenders. He is very good at picking up the ball on the half turn as he has great balance and his excellent acceleration from a standing start allows him to pick up the ball and create attacking openings from nothing even if he is under pressure. In regards to pace he is reasonably quick but I wouldn't say he is a speed winger, as I said his acceleration is very impressive and he uses it to great effect when standing up a full back/defender. He certainly isn't slow tho and he is very direct. When he gets the ball his first instinct is to take it forward with haste.

I think one thing I would say is that he need's to work on in a dribbling sense is his confidence on weaker left foot. He actually has a good left foot and will use it to go outside 1v1 when sitting out wide but he doesn't do it enough. The ability is most certainly there it's just he doesn't use it as often as he should. He is very good 1v1 and I wouldn't say he is predictable like Kulu but if he would go outside more regularly he would be incredibly good, its just something he needs to learn to get more comfortable doing.

I say all that but his ability on the ball is by far his strongest trait, he really is excellent at moving the ball up the pitch and even through a pact midfield. For someone only 18 he is also physically strong, he is a tall lad, and doesn't get pushed off the ball easily. He has no issues with the physical side of the game. Although I would add he has very good shooting technique with a good verity of finishes in his locker but I think he needs to work on his confidence from outside or on the edge of the box. I think he has the ability from there but he will sometimes get in to a good position and refrain from shooting even if the opportunity is there and instead will cut back or lay it off. He has the ability to be a very good goalscorer but In general I think he needs to work on his decision making inside the box as he will sometimes pick the wrong option.

As a passer he is solid but maybe a little unadventurous. He will play the odd incisive pass but not with enough regularity and I think its an area he could afford to take more risk with. Considering his ability on the ball if he could try to be more adventurous I think he would become somewhat unstoppable as an attacking player. To add tho, his passing technique isn't bad and I actually think he does have the vision, he can and has played cutting though balls its just not a big enough part of his game especially when he is playing more central.

I think he has exceptional raw ability he just needs to build on his confidence in certain areas to get them up to the level of his dribbling. Juve play more of a counter system which relies on speedy transition which Kenan can play well but I also think he would suit a possession based system well. I do think a change of system would help him to fully realise his potential.

A bit like Semih he can suffer from tunnel vision as times and could maybe afford to get his head up a little more when attacking the box. But for only 18 I really think Kenan Yildiz is a big big talent who has a incredible amount of potential. He really is one of the biggest rising stars in his position/age bracket currently in Europe. Already he is being strongly tracked by the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal. Buying him would probably be unrealistic for us as Juve would rightly want a very large fee for him, I've seen 50 mil mentioned which wouldn't surprise me. So far this season he has 5 goals in 21 games but only 8 of those were starts. I fully expect there to be a lot of interest in him this summer and with Juve needing money they may well end up having to cash in. They won't want to tho and I think they will sell Soulé and Chiesa first, not because ether is worse but because Soulé doesn't have a role in the current set up and Juve don't have the coin to renew Chiesa's contract. IMO Kenan probably stays for another season at least but personally I really don't think Allegri's tactics will make the most of his ability and I would really like to see him move to a team that play possession football... please not Arsenal tho. Ether way i'm a big fan of his and look forward to see how he develops.




Can Uzun - 1. FC Nürnberg - 18 - AM/SS/CF

Last up Can Uzun. WIth Nürnberg being slap bang in the middle of the Bundesliga 2 league Can Uzun is by far the the one player I have seen least of out of the three but I felt i should include him on the list due to the huge amount of hype he is currently generating. I will keep it brief tho as I don't want to pretend I know more about him then I do. As I mentioned there is already a lot of talk about this kid and for good reason it seems, at the age of 18 and mostly playing as a second striker (he has 8 starts at CF compared to 16 at AM/SS) he has scored a total of 16 goals in 25 games. He also became the youngest player ever to score a hat trick in the DFB Pokal (league cup). This impressive display has resulted in him getting his first call up for the senior team in the upcoming Internationals. Already there is a tug of ware amongst top Bundesliga teams vying for his signature, BVB were extremely interested but according to Bild he is on the verge of signing for Eintracht Frankfurt. Apparently BM even had interest in him last summer but he decided to stay as he was going to be given first team football which he deemed more valuable. Wise choice it seems. Whats for sure is if they don't tie him up soon I'm sure more teams will start sniffing. Newcastle were also linked but how real their interest actually was is anyones guess.

Much like Kenan at BM, Can Uzun came up though the ranks at Nürnberg and after impressing at every youth level was fast tracked into the first team. He was only 17 when he started getting minutes this season. Nürnberg play a 4321 formation and Can plays on the left of the attacking 2 behind the CF. From the little i have seen and the scout reports I have read he is very much a natural second striker, whilst he has played CF he is much more comfortable dropping deep then making runs in behind. He has an exceptional shot on him which is backed up by his very impressive XG. He is also a strong nimble dribbler who is hard to get off the ball and I think its the combination of excellent finishing and ball retention that has made him such a big threat. He is also very very two footed which coupled with his very good technique makes him a incredibly elusive character in the final third. He loves putting players on the back foot by running at them and due to his two footed nature and exceptional close control you can see the opposition panic when he is running at them.

On the flip side he is almost none existent defensively. I presume this is somewhat a tactical decision by Cristian Fiél who leaves Can to just concentrate on his attacking responsibilities but that also might be due to his inability to do it. When he does try to engage he is completely ineffective to the point I have seen one report calling him a "training cone". Ether way In regards to numbers it is clearly a tactic that works in an attacking sense but one wonders what happens when he does move to a system that will require that from him. it could be a hard learning curve when he steps up to his next club. He is a big lad tho and has no issues being physical when in possession of the ball so one would assume it's something that he can learn at least to a basic level. Might take some coaching but will probably be necessary if he hopes to play for the top teams.

I don't think he is one that would suit our system as he is most natural as a SS and his poor defensive ability makes it a write off anyway. Ironically I think he might actually suit Juve's current tactics. BUT I do think from the little I have seen and read that he is a very exciting young talent who has a lot of potential and one who it will be interesting to see develop which is why I added him to the list. Bellow I will link one of a few scout reports which has video's to highlight each point made for those that want to read up in more detail about him, there are a few out, and a highlight vid.

Anyway, thanks for reading.

Can Uzun

Can Uzun is a future Turkish international & one of the most fascinating talents in the 2023/24 2. Bundesliga season.

medium.com

Click to expand...

Thanks for this, mate.
I can’t for the life of me remember where, but I’m pretty sure that someone/thing linked us to Semih a month or so back. I recall watching some footage on him and being impressed, for sure.

biscuit said:

Thanks for this, mate.
I can’t for the life of me remember where, but I’m pretty sure that someone/thing linked us to Semih a month or so back. I recall watching some footage on him and being impressed, for sure.

Click to expand...

Hope the links are true, would love us to grab him. He’s one player I think would be able to adapt to the league. A very exciting prospect indeed. Plus his birthday is in August so would be HG if we got him early enough I believe. Or not as seems to be the case.

Ghost Hardware said:

Hope the links are true, would love us to grab him. He’s one player I think would be able to adapt to the league. A very exciting prospect indeed. Plus his birthday is in August so would be HG if we got him early enough I believe.

Click to expand...

Alas his birthday is the 15h August and next season starts on the 17th.

So he misses the cut off to become club / association trained by 2 days.

JamieSpursCommunityUser said:

Alas his birthday is the 15h August and next season starts on the 17th.

So he misses the cut off to become club / association trained by 2 days.

Click to expand...

Shame, was wondering if that would be the case after i posted. Still hope we are watching him tho.

JamieSpursCommunityUser said:

Alas his birthday is the 15h August and next season starts on the 17th.

So he misses the cut off to become club / association trained by 2 days.

Click to expand...

Not so sure thats right. I picked up the following definition some time ago - which I hope is relevant:

‘Club Trained Player’ means a Player who, between the age of 15 (or the start of the season during which he turns 15) and 21 (or the end of the season during which he turns 21), and irrespective of his nationality and age, has been registered with his current club for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons (i.e. a period starting with the first official match of the League and ending with the last official match of League or of 36 months. In the context of this paragraph, the season immediately preceding a player’s 15th birthday may be counted if his birthday is after the last match of the League but before or on 30 June, and the season immediately following his 21st birthday may be counted if his birthday is on or after 1 July but before the first match of the relevant League.

Ghost Hardware said:

Sorry for the very long post but figured it's the scouting thread so wouldn't be so much an issue especially with it being international week

I've mentioned before that Turkey has a very exciting crop of upcoming young talents so figure I would highlight three which we should be keeping an eye on. Arda Güler is now very much the poster boy for the new generation of players coming through the ranks and since I first mentioned him in an older version of this thread has made a move to Madrid causing more eyes to look at what else Turkey has cooking. He had a a difficult start to his time there with a nasty injury and limited game time but he is starting to get more minutes. After bagging his first goal in the game prior he was in the news last weekend for hitting the crossbar from the halfway line, the kid has some balls. Whilst I think Arda (in Turkey they tend to refer to players by their first name) is probably the player with the biggest potential from the upcoming crop, he really is an incredible talent, I do think there are some who look very exciting indeed. I am going to cheat somewhat as two of the three I mention bellow were technically raised in the German system but both of them have chosen to represent Turkey so i'm picking them regardless.

Semih Kılıçsoy - Beşiktaş - 18 - CF/LWF

As I have mentioned before I have a friend who lives in Istanbul and is an avid Football fan. We often chat about players breaking through that look special. He regularly goes to Fenerbahçe games as that is the team he follows and in general keeps a keen eye on talent in the league. He was the person who originally mentioned Arda to me as one to watch before he had broken into the first team at Fenerbahçe. A few months ago he told me I had to keep an eye on Semih at Beşiktaş, currently he is being talked up as being the most exciting young talent in the league by some distance and that to him he looked like a very special talent. After watching him a few times I can understand why he told me to watch him.

Already a regular starter for Beşiktaş stylistically he is quite similar to Aguero, there is even a "The Turkish Aguero" Youtube video comp out there. Normally these sort of sensationalist titles are rather wide of the mark with their comparison but in this case it might no be so farfetched. Given his size, build, finishing ability and low centre of gravity when running with the ball the comparison is understandable.

Semih is a very technically gifted young forward who is a strong powerful runner and excellent dribbler. He's probably a better dibbler then Aguero was at a similar age and its because of his ability on the ball he has often been played out on the left wing. But make no mistake, CF is where he is best and clearly his natural position but he does have the versatility to play out wide. He is naturally right footed but really is pretty two footed and he has excellent shooting technique with both feet. Not only that he has also played as an AM in the past as he has a bit of a playmaker about him. I have never seen him at AM tho, I have read reports but can't attest to how good or bad he is there, but he does like to get involved in the build up phase rather then just waiting for the ball to come to him when playing CF. He does seem to posses good vision tho. But this doesn't mean he operates as a false 9 when starting as a CF, he still likes leading the line he just doesn't like being a passenger. He is competent at both dropping or running in behind which makes him hard to pin down from a defensive perspective.

As I mentioned he has often been played on the wing by Beşiktaş and thats due to his pace, exceptional dribbling abilities and vision but he is better as a striker IMO. My friend was saying a few Beşiktaş fans are unhappy that he has been shunted out wide at times to accommodated Tosun and would prefer to keep Semih up top as that is the place he will long term play. He actually has more goals in fewer games from the wing then at CF 5 in 9 vs 4 in 11 but his lower numbers at CF are as much to do with the players around him not giving him the support needed.

Defensively I did read one report suggesting he didn't press much but watching him I don't think thats actually particularly accurate. The games I have watched of him he certainly was putting pressure on and getting stuck in with a tackle. If anything one of the things that has always made me concerned about a lot of young Turkish talent is that whilst they are very technical with the ball at their feet its the effort they put in without the ball that is often significantly lacking. That isn't the case with Semih IMO, from what i have seen at least.

What I would say tho on a negative side is that he does have a habit of holding onto the ball too long and overplaying. As I mentioned he has exceptional dribbling ability for a CF but he will sometimes think he can take on the whole defence and this can be an issue and cause an attack to break down. He isn''t a ball hog, he will pass and does have good vision as previously stated its just sometimes he will overplay it. He will also sometimes snatches at chances and doesn't take the time to set himself properly. Neither are hardly a major issue for someone so young tho and somewhat understandable from a young player trying to impress. I am also trying to be extra critical here and nitpick a little.

From a physical stand points he will certainly use his strength to hold onto the ball. He is a stocky lad. This was my only concern about Arda, as much as he had simply phenomenal ability on the ball he has quite a skinny/slight frame and I was concerned if he would be able to adapt the physicality of the PL. This is not a concern I would have Semih. This kid is strong and will happily go shoulder to shoulder.

Anyway, I don't want to big him up too much. This is his breakthrough season and thus far he has 9 in 17 league games. He is by no means a finished article in any way shape or form. But IMO he is a very exciting talent none the less, watching him you can see why so many are so excited by him. If he finishes the season with the same level of performances he has been putting in thus far I reckon someone from Europe will pick him up probably for a bargain. Certainly a kid that I think would suit our system well even tho he wouldn't offer much of an arial threat. He certainly looks a very exciting prospect IMO




Kenan Yildiz - Juventus - 18 - LWF/AM/SS

For those of you who read any of my posts in the January transfer section might have seen me mention Kenan a lot. Kenan actually came up though the BM youth system from the age of 7 which is probably one reason that despite his limited game time he has looked so tactically assured when on the pitch. BM did try to extend his contract but they couldn't pursued him and with Barca and Juve fighting over his sig he thought he would have a more straightforward shot at breaking into the first team at Juve then anywhere else. so he joined them in 22 and BM were certainly disappointed to loose him.

In regards to the style of play Kenan can pretty much player anywhere on the left side of the pitch. He will look just as natural hugging the touchline as he will drifting in between the left half spaces. Juventus play with a 352 formation, normally with Chiesa and Vlahovic up top but Kenan has been deputising for Chiesa when the latter is injured and will play a similar role to him when on the pitch which is essentially that of an second striker who will also drop deep to get involved with the build up whilst also drifting wide to spread the play. I am not sure the SS role really suits him as I think he would fit better as a IF or AM but ether way he has impressed.

From an ability point of view he has very quick feet and has no problem wriggling between defenders. He is very good at picking up the ball on the half turn as he has great balance and his excellent acceleration from a standing start allows him to pick up the ball and create attacking openings from nothing even if he is under pressure. In regards to pace he is reasonably quick but I wouldn't say he is a speed winger, as I said his acceleration is very impressive and he uses it to great effect when standing up a full back/defender. He certainly isn't slow tho and he is very direct. When he gets the ball his first instinct is to take it forward with haste.

I think one thing I would say is that he need's to work on in a dribbling sense is his confidence on weaker left foot. He actually has a good left foot and will use it to go outside 1v1 when sitting out wide but he doesn't do it enough. The ability is most certainly there it's just he doesn't use it as often as he should. He is very good 1v1 and I wouldn't say he is predictable like Kulu but if he would go outside more regularly he would be incredibly good, its just something he needs to learn to get more comfortable doing.

I say all that but his ability on the ball is by far his strongest trait, he really is excellent at moving the ball up the pitch and even through a pact midfield. For someone only 18 he is also physically strong, he is a tall lad, and doesn't get pushed off the ball easily. He has no issues with the physical side of the game. Although I would add he has very good shooting technique with a good verity of finishes in his locker but I think he needs to work on his confidence from outside or on the edge of the box. I think he has the ability from there but he will sometimes get in to a good position and refrain from shooting even if the opportunity is there and instead will cut back or lay it off. He has the ability to be a very good goalscorer but In general I think he needs to work on his decision making inside the box as he will sometimes pick the wrong option.

As a passer he is solid but maybe a little unadventurous. He will play the odd incisive pass but not with enough regularity and I think its an area he could afford to take more risk with. Considering his ability on the ball if he could try to be more adventurous I think he would become somewhat unstoppable as an attacking player. To add tho, his passing technique isn't bad and I actually think he does have the vision, he can and has played cutting though balls its just not a big enough part of his game especially when he is playing more central.

I think he has exceptional raw ability he just needs to build on his confidence in certain areas to get them up to the level of his dribbling. Juve play more of a counter system which relies on speedy transition which Kenan can play well but I also think he would suit a possession based system well. I do think a change of system would help him to fully realise his potential.

A bit like Semih he can suffer from tunnel vision as times and could maybe afford to get his head up a little more when attacking the box. But for only 18 I really think Kenan Yildiz is a big big talent who has a incredible amount of potential. He really is one of the biggest rising stars in his position/age bracket currently in Europe. Already he is being strongly tracked by the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal. Buying him would probably be unrealistic for us as Juve would rightly want a very large fee for him, I've seen 50 mil mentioned which wouldn't surprise me. So far this season he has 5 goals in 21 games but only 8 of those were starts. I fully expect there to be a lot of interest in him this summer and with Juve needing money they may well end up having to cash in. They won't want to tho and I think they will sell Soulé and Chiesa first, not because ether is worse but because Soulé doesn't have a role in the current set up and Juve don't have the coin to renew Chiesa's contract. IMO Kenan probably stays for another season at least but personally I really don't think Allegri's tactics will make the most of his ability and I would really like to see him move to a team that play possession football... please not Arsenal tho. Ether way i'm a big fan of his and look forward to see how he develops.




Can Uzun - 1. FC Nürnberg - 18 - AM/SS/CF

Last up Can Uzun. WIth Nürnberg being slap bang in the middle of the Bundesliga 2 league Can Uzun is by far the the one player I have seen least of out of the three but I felt i should include him on the list due to the huge amount of hype he is currently generating. I will keep it brief tho as I don't want to pretend I know more about him then I do. As I mentioned there is already a lot of talk about this kid and for good reason it seems, at the age of 18 and mostly playing as a second striker (he has 8 starts at CF compared to 16 at AM/SS) he has scored a total of 16 goals in 25 games. He also became the youngest player ever to score a hat trick in the DFB Pokal (league cup). This impressive display has resulted in him getting his first call up for the senior team in the upcoming Internationals. Already there is a tug of ware amongst top Bundesliga teams vying for his signature, BVB were extremely interested but according to Bild he is on the verge of signing for Eintracht Frankfurt. Apparently BM even had interest in him last summer but he decided to stay as he was going to be given first team football which he deemed more valuable. Wise choice it seems. Whats for sure is if they don't tie him up soon I'm sure more teams will start sniffing. Newcastle were also linked but how real their interest actually was is anyones guess.

Much like Kenan at BM, Can Uzun came up though the ranks at Nürnberg and after impressing at every youth level was fast tracked into the first team. He was only 17 when he started getting minutes this season. Nürnberg play a 4321 formation and Can plays on the left of the attacking 2 behind the CF. From the little i have seen and the scout reports I have read he is very much a natural second striker, whilst he has played CF he is much more comfortable dropping deep then making runs in behind. He has an exceptional shot on him which is backed up by his very impressive XG. He is also a strong nimble dribbler who is hard to get off the ball and I think its the combination of excellent finishing and ball retention that has made him such a big threat. He is also very very two footed which coupled with his very good technique makes him a incredibly elusive character in the final third. He loves putting players on the back foot by running at them and due to his two footed nature and exceptional close control you can see the opposition panic when he is running at them.

On the flip side he is almost none existent defensively. I presume this is somewhat a tactical decision by Cristian Fiél who leaves Can to just concentrate on his attacking responsibilities but that also might be due to his inability to do it. When he does try to engage he is completely ineffective to the point I have seen one report calling him a "training cone". Ether way In regards to numbers it is clearly a tactic that works in an attacking sense but one wonders what happens when he does move to a system that will require that from him. it could be a hard learning curve when he steps up to his next club. He is a big lad tho and has no issues being physical when in possession of the ball so one would assume it's something that he can learn at least to a basic level. Might take some coaching but will probably be necessary if he hopes to play for the top teams.

I don't think he is one that would suit our system as he is most natural as a SS and his poor defensive ability makes it a write off anyway. Ironically I think he might actually suit Juve's current tactics. BUT I do think from the little I have seen and read that he is a very exciting young talent who has a lot of potential and one who it will be interesting to see develop which is why I added him to the list. Bellow I will link one of a few scout reports which has video's to highlight each point made for those that want to read up in more detail about him, there are a few out, and a highlight vid.

Anyway, thanks for reading.

Can Uzun

Can Uzun is a future Turkish international & one of the most fascinating talents in the 2023/24 2. Bundesliga season.

medium.com

Click to expand...

Literally never apologise for your posts.
You're knowledge brings so much to this site.

I'd like a weekly one that long in here to look through tbh

Probably abit early but I'd like to see a list of potential number 2 keepers for next year as we look to bring in a younger /ball playing back up to Vicario.

something about Turkish players i'm just meh about, they have a lot of hype but are there really that many that fulfil their potential?

Ghost Hardware said:

Sorry for the very long post but figured it's the scouting thread so wouldn't be so much an issue especially with it being international week

I've mentioned before that Turkey has a very exciting crop of upcoming young talents so figure I would highlight three which we should be keeping an eye on. Arda Güler is now very much the poster boy for the new generation of players coming through the ranks and since I first mentioned him in an older version of this thread has made a move to Madrid causing more eyes to look at what else Turkey has cooking. He had a a difficult start to his time there with a nasty injury and limited game time but he is starting to get more minutes. After bagging his first goal in the game prior he was in the news last weekend for hitting the crossbar from the halfway line, the kid has some balls. Whilst I think Arda (in Turkey they tend to refer to players by their first name) is probably the player with the biggest potential from the upcoming crop, he really is an incredible talent, I do think there are some who look very exciting indeed. I am going to cheat somewhat as two of the three I mention bellow were technically raised in the German system but both of them have chosen to represent Turkey so i'm picking them regardless.

Semih Kılıçsoy - Beşiktaş - 18 - CF/LWF

As I have mentioned before I have a friend who lives in Istanbul and is an avid Football fan. We often chat about players breaking through that look special. He regularly goes to Fenerbahçe games as that is the team he follows and in general keeps a keen eye on talent in the league. He was the person who originally mentioned Arda to me as one to watch before he had broken into the first team at Fenerbahçe. A few months ago he told me I had to keep an eye on Semih at Beşiktaş, currently he is being talked up as being the most exciting young talent in the league by some distance and that to him he looked like a very special talent. After watching him a few times I can understand why he told me to watch him.

Already a regular starter for Beşiktaş stylistically he is quite similar to Aguero, there is even a "The Turkish Aguero" Youtube video comp out there. Normally these sort of sensationalist titles are rather wide of the mark with their comparison but in this case it might no be so farfetched. Given his size, build, finishing ability and low centre of gravity when running with the ball the comparison is understandable.

Semih is a very technically gifted young forward who is a strong powerful runner and excellent dribbler. He's probably a better dibbler then Aguero was at a similar age and its because of his ability on the ball he has often been played out on the left wing. But make no mistake, CF is where he is best and clearly his natural position but he does have the versatility to play out wide. He is naturally right footed but really is pretty two footed and he has excellent shooting technique with both feet. Not only that he has also played as an AM in the past as he has a bit of a playmaker about him. I have never seen him at AM tho, I have read reports but can't attest to how good or bad he is there, but he does like to get involved in the build up phase rather then just waiting for the ball to come to him when playing CF. He does seem to posses good vision tho. But this doesn't mean he operates as a false 9 when starting as a CF, he still likes leading the line he just doesn't like being a passenger. He is competent at both dropping or running in behind which makes him hard to pin down from a defensive perspective.

As I mentioned he has often been played on the wing by Beşiktaş and thats due to his pace, exceptional dribbling abilities and vision but he is better as a striker IMO. My friend was saying a few Beşiktaş fans are unhappy that he has been shunted out wide at times to accommodated Tosun and would prefer to keep Semih up top as that is the place he will long term play. He actually has more goals in fewer games from the wing then at CF 5 in 9 vs 4 in 11 but his lower numbers at CF are as much to do with the players around him not giving him the support needed.

Defensively I did read one report suggesting he didn't press much but watching him I don't think thats actually particularly accurate. The games I have watched of him he certainly was putting pressure on and getting stuck in with a tackle. If anything one of the things that has always made me concerned about a lot of young Turkish talent is that whilst they are very technical with the ball at their feet its the effort they put in without the ball that is often significantly lacking. That isn't the case with Semih IMO, from what i have seen at least.

What I would say tho on a negative side is that he does have a habit of holding onto the ball too long and overplaying. As I mentioned he has exceptional dribbling ability for a CF but he will sometimes think he can take on the whole defence and this can be an issue and cause an attack to break down. He isn''t a ball hog, he will pass and does have good vision as previously stated its just sometimes he will overplay it. He will also sometimes snatches at chances and doesn't take the time to set himself properly. Neither are hardly a major issue for someone so young tho and somewhat understandable from a young player trying to impress. I am also trying to be extra critical here and nitpick a little.

From a physical stand points he will certainly use his strength to hold onto the ball. He is a stocky lad. This was my only concern about Arda, as much as he had simply phenomenal ability on the ball he has quite a skinny/slight frame and I was concerned if he would be able to adapt the physicality of the PL. This is not a concern I would have Semih. This kid is strong and will happily go shoulder to shoulder.

Anyway, I don't want to big him up too much. This is his breakthrough season and thus far he has 9 in 17 league games. He is by no means a finished article in any way shape or form. But IMO he is a very exciting talent none the less, watching him you can see why so many are so excited by him. If he finishes the season with the same level of performances he has been putting in thus far I reckon someone from Europe will pick him up probably for a bargain. Certainly a kid that I think would suit our system well even tho he wouldn't offer much of an arial threat. He certainly looks a very exciting prospect IMO




Kenan Yildiz - Juventus - 18 - LWF/AM/SS

For those of you who read any of my posts in the January transfer section might have seen me mention Kenan a lot. Kenan actually came up though the BM youth system from the age of 7 which is probably one reason that despite his limited game time he has looked so tactically assured when on the pitch. BM did try to extend his contract but they couldn't pursued him and with Barca and Juve fighting over his sig he thought he would have a more straightforward shot at breaking into the first team at Juve then anywhere else. so he joined them in 22 and BM were certainly disappointed to loose him.

In regards to the style of play Kenan can pretty much player anywhere on the left side of the pitch. He will look just as natural hugging the touchline as he will drifting in between the left half spaces. Juventus play with a 352 formation, normally with Chiesa and Vlahovic up top but Kenan has been deputising for Chiesa when the latter is injured and will play a similar role to him when on the pitch which is essentially that of an second striker who will also drop deep to get involved with the build up whilst also drifting wide to spread the play. I am not sure the SS role really suits him as I think he would fit better as a IF or AM but ether way he has impressed.

From an ability point of view he has very quick feet and has no problem wriggling between defenders. He is very good at picking up the ball on the half turn as he has great balance and his excellent acceleration from a standing start allows him to pick up the ball and create attacking openings from nothing even if he is under pressure. In regards to pace he is reasonably quick but I wouldn't say he is a speed winger, as I said his acceleration is very impressive and he uses it to great effect when standing up a full back/defender. He certainly isn't slow tho and he is very direct. When he gets the ball his first instinct is to take it forward with haste.

I think one thing I would say is that he need's to work on in a dribbling sense is his confidence on weaker left foot. He actually has a good left foot and will use it to go outside 1v1 when sitting out wide but he doesn't do it enough. The ability is most certainly there it's just he doesn't use it as often as he should. He is very good 1v1 and I wouldn't say he is predictable like Kulu but if he would go outside more regularly he would be incredibly good, its just something he needs to learn to get more comfortable doing.

I say all that but his ability on the ball is by far his strongest trait, he really is excellent at moving the ball up the pitch and even through a pact midfield. For someone only 18 he is also physically strong, he is a tall lad, and doesn't get pushed off the ball easily. He has no issues with the physical side of the game. Although I would add he has very good shooting technique with a good verity of finishes in his locker but I think he needs to work on his confidence from outside or on the edge of the box. I think he has the ability from there but he will sometimes get in to a good position and refrain from shooting even if the opportunity is there and instead will cut back or lay it off. He has the ability to be a very good goalscorer but In general I think he needs to work on his decision making inside the box as he will sometimes pick the wrong option.

As a passer he is solid but maybe a little unadventurous. He will play the odd incisive pass but not with enough regularity and I think its an area he could afford to take more risk with. Considering his ability on the ball if he could try to be more adventurous I think he would become somewhat unstoppable as an attacking player. To add tho, his passing technique isn't bad and I actually think he does have the vision, he can and has played cutting though balls its just not a big enough part of his game especially when he is playing more central.

I think he has exceptional raw ability he just needs to build on his confidence in certain areas to get them up to the level of his dribbling. Juve play more of a counter system which relies on speedy transition which Kenan can play well but I also think he would suit a possession based system well. I do think a change of system would help him to fully realise his potential.

A bit like Semih he can suffer from tunnel vision as times and could maybe afford to get his head up a little more when attacking the box. But for only 18 I really think Kenan Yildiz is a big big talent who has a incredible amount of potential. He really is one of the biggest rising stars in his position/age bracket currently in Europe. Already he is being strongly tracked by the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal. Buying him would probably be unrealistic for us as Juve would rightly want a very large fee for him, I've seen 50 mil mentioned which wouldn't surprise me. So far this season he has 5 goals in 21 games but only 8 of those were starts. I fully expect there to be a lot of interest in him this summer and with Juve needing money they may well end up having to cash in. They won't want to tho and I think they will sell Soulé and Chiesa first, not because ether is worse but because Soulé doesn't have a role in the current set up and Juve don't have the coin to renew Chiesa's contract. IMO Kenan probably stays for another season at least but personally I really don't think Allegri's tactics will make the most of his ability and I would really like to see him move to a team that play possession football... please not Arsenal tho. Ether way i'm a big fan of his and look forward to see how he develops.




Can Uzun - 1. FC Nürnberg - 18 - AM/SS/CF

Last up Can Uzun. WIth Nürnberg being slap bang in the middle of the Bundesliga 2 league Can Uzun is by far the the one player I have seen least of out of the three but I felt i should include him on the list due to the huge amount of hype he is currently generating. I will keep it brief tho as I don't want to pretend I know more about him then I do. As I mentioned there is already a lot of talk about this kid and for good reason it seems, at the age of 18 and mostly playing as a second striker (he has 8 starts at CF compared to 16 at AM/SS) he has scored a total of 16 goals in 25 games. He also became the youngest player ever to score a hat trick in the DFB Pokal (league cup). This impressive display has resulted in him getting his first call up for the senior team in the upcoming Internationals. Already there is a tug of ware amongst top Bundesliga teams vying for his signature, BVB were extremely interested but according to Bild he is on the verge of signing for Eintracht Frankfurt. Apparently BM even had interest in him last summer but he decided to stay as he was going to be given first team football which he deemed more valuable. Wise choice it seems. Whats for sure is if they don't tie him up soon I'm sure more teams will start sniffing. Newcastle were also linked but how real their interest actually was is anyones guess.

Much like Kenan at BM, Can Uzun came up though the ranks at Nürnberg and after impressing at every youth level was fast tracked into the first team. He was only 17 when he started getting minutes this season. Nürnberg play a 4321 formation and Can plays on the left of the attacking 2 behind the CF. From the little i have seen and the scout reports I have read he is very much a natural second striker, whilst he has played CF he is much more comfortable dropping deep then making runs in behind. He has an exceptional shot on him which is backed up by his very impressive XG. He is also a strong nimble dribbler who is hard to get off the ball and I think its the combination of excellent finishing and ball retention that has made him such a big threat. He is also very very two footed which coupled with his very good technique makes him a incredibly elusive character in the final third. He loves putting players on the back foot by running at them and due to his two footed nature and exceptional close control you can see the opposition panic when he is running at them.

On the flip side he is almost none existent defensively. I presume this is somewhat a tactical decision by Cristian Fiél who leaves Can to just concentrate on his attacking responsibilities but that also might be due to his inability to do it. When he does try to engage he is completely ineffective to the point I have seen one report calling him a "training cone". Ether way In regards to numbers it is clearly a tactic that works in an attacking sense but one wonders what happens when he does move to a system that will require that from him. it could be a hard learning curve when he steps up to his next club. He is a big lad tho and has no issues being physical when in possession of the ball so one would assume it's something that he can learn at least to a basic level. Might take some coaching but will probably be necessary if he hopes to play for the top teams.

I don't think he is one that would suit our system as he is most natural as a SS and his poor defensive ability makes it a write off anyway. Ironically I think he might actually suit Juve's current tactics. BUT I do think from the little I have seen and read that he is a very exciting young talent who has a lot of potential and one who it will be interesting to see develop which is why I added him to the list. Bellow I will link one of a few scout reports which has video's to highlight each point made for those that want to read up in more detail about him, there are a few out, and a highlight vid.

Anyway, thanks for reading.

Can Uzun

Can Uzun is a future Turkish international & one of the most fascinating talents in the 2023/24 2. Bundesliga season.

medium.com

Click to expand...

Great scout report, thank you.

We seem to have a few links to players from the Turkish league at the moment, although I do find Turkish media to be the most unreliable so not sure if any are genuine.

I know nothing about this League, so would be interested in hearing your thoughts on Szymanski, Yuksek and Kadioglu who all play for Fenerbahce and have all been linked in the past week or so.

They all seem to fit the profile of player we might look at and are in positions we need, so could be some truth in it.

Any thoughts?

DanielJohnCosta said:

something about Turkish players i'm just meh about, they have a lot of hype but are there really that many that fulfil their potential?

Click to expand...

I've worked a fair bit with Turkish people and at a Turkish company in Dubai.

Turkey is a rough country with a massive gulf between the rich and the poor. It is not uncommon for them to focus a lot on expensive cars, bling, and the idea of success, rather than put the actual work in for the team or company when they believe they've made it. Most I've met have been fairly confrontational and haven't been great at handling feedback (they often take it personally).

They're great at making money, but they can clash a lot with others if things don't go their way. It is often "I" before "We".

This doesn't mean all Turks are like that, but culture matters and this is my experience. I can see why they've struggled to make it at the highest level in Football despite often having wonderful technical attributes.

I thought Starting Price was back for a minute.