The newly promoted sides in the Premier League struck gold this season as the new TV deal that is set to pour millions into the English market will help them attract some good stars in the transfer window this summer. So it has not come as a surprise that Middlesbrough, who are just promoted into the top flight have already completed the signings of more than once exciting player in the transfer window.
The manager has already acquired the services of Alvaro Negredo, Antonio Barragan, Victor Valdes and Marten de Roon to help his side challenge for a place in the top flight for the next season as well. And now it is revealed that the manager wants to add Lille’s Ibrahim Amadou to his squad this summer. So who is Amadou? What does he bring to Middlesbrough? To answer most such questions here is a scout report on the French international.
Born in April 1993 in Cameroon, Amadou is a French international who started his football career as a youth player at Nancy. He made himself a name in the academy and moved to the senior side in 2013 where he played for the senior side for two seasons. He made 57 appearances for the Nancy side as he gathered much needed experience and managed to attract interest from the Lille side last summer.
He moved to Lille but managed to make just the 7 appearances and does not seem to have made an impact on the manager who is ready to let him leave this summer. He has also made it into France’s youth teams and has managed to make 2 appearances for the U-19 side and Karanka, the manager of the Premier League side Middlesbrough is ready to pounce on his this summer.
Strengths and Style of play
At 23-years of age, Amadou is one of the most versatile players in the French domestic circuit. He can play as a central defender, a central midfielder or a defensive midfielder making him a utility player for any club he plays for. He is a player who has a peculiar eye for the game and is always one step ahead of his opponents. He makes a number of interceptions and blocks in the final third as he is not afraid to put his body on the line and is a player who more often than not wins the ball back for his team. As a defender, he is very disciplined and is a player every team wants in their squad.
He is not a player who likes to take the risk of dribbling past opponents but is a player who loves to sit back and find the right pass to set his team on the attack. He is comfortable in the air and along the ground and is a player who will constantly be looking to keep the opponents away from harms reach.
Weaknesses
At 23, Amadou is a strong player but is hardly seen using his strength. He is happy to depend on his ability with his feet but when playing against the best sides, Amadou will be under pressure. He will have to learn to dominate his box and shoo away the opponents. He will need to understand how to get the better of his opponent in a one-on-one situation and demand some respect before he can grow on to become a top class player. However, with age on his side, Amadou has plenty of time to learn the tricks of the trade in years to come.
What the future holds
Amadou is a relatively young defender who has loads of potential. He is not really the perfect player for the English style of play but over the years a number of English clubs have been linked with a move for the 23-year old. However, no one made an approach so far and Amadou was left fighting for game time at Lille. But this summer, newly promoted Middlesbrough is trying to sign him and this might just be the break that helps Amadou announce himself in Europe. Playing for a promoted side, the 23-year old will get plenty of chances to prove himself and with consistent game time, he may as well learn a lot about the game that will help him become a better player.
