Premier League outfits raid other top tiers in Europe to cater to their needs of strengthening their side or mould them into a formidable one. The German Bundesliga has been an avenue that is known far and wide for producing technically sound players with tremendous grit, potential and resilience which is why it is a worthwhile league to pluck players that fit the bill.
With the likes of Granit Xhaka and İlkay Gündoğan making an immediate impact after their switch from the top tier of German football to the same of England, the tendency to recruit from the home of the World Champions seems to be at the zenith. One of the latest names to attract a lot of interest is that of Sead Kolašinac of Schalke 04 and it is believed that English clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea are interested in signing him.
Bundesliga followers won’t find it troublesome to derive the characteristics and impact of Kolašinac but for the ones not acquainted with his name so far, a brief SWOT Analysis has been worked out to ease the case.
Strengths
Sead Kolašinac has been plying his trade at Schalke since 2012. A youth product of Karlsruher SC initially, Kolašinac switched to Hoffenheim and then to VfB Stuttgart before being acquired by the Royal Blues. Standing at more than 6 feet, he is an aggressive defender who has the last laugh in the aerial duels more often than not and provides unparalleled energy on the left.
The 23-year-old has accumulated 95 appearances for Schalke since joining them in 2012 (implying that he has a decent experience of top tier football), which is why he is a wanting commodity for many big clubs across Europe.
Generally speaking, he is quite proactive as a left back in reading the game as he assesses the dangers very well and tries to break them with his tackles or interceptions. When he surges forward, he tries to pick up passes rather than aimlessly smashing the ball and thus aims to unlock the opponents’ defence.
Moreover, he finds spaces and exploits them perfectly, has the knack to regain possession and has a strong positional awareness. The Schalke youngster has been shaped into a marauding deputy on the left and is gaining prominence under the tutelage of Markus Weinzierl who is looking forward to hand him a new contract very soon.
Weaknesses
Kolašinac falls short when it comes to showcasing his quality on the ball. The Bosnian sees only 67% of his passes being completed which is certainly an unhealthy stat. Further, he suffers from disciplinary issues, makes rash tackles at times and has already been in the books of referees on two occasions already from four appearances.
Another aspect that makes a slight dent on his stature is his impreciseness in the final third which is something he needs to look at if he wants to ply his trade in the left-back slot.
Opportunities
Unarguably, the versatility of the Bosnian international is what makes his so dear in the football fraternity at the moment. The appealing characteristic that he possesses of being efficient in the left-back, left of the midfield and the defensive midfield region is something he can hand to the Premier League sides who can trade in gold for that.
His recent performance against Borussia Dortmund where he made 3 successful tackles, 3 interceptions, 6 clearances and an impeccable block to deny Christian Pulisic gave a reminder of the damage he can do to the opponents’ attacking pursuits.
For sides like Chelsea and Liverpool, he can be a prolific addition as he provides width and has the same staggering intensity in attacking as well as defending.
Threats
In no way should Kolašinac be deemed as a polished product. His complacency in making tackles, lack of end product offensively and the flaw of losing possession on the ball at times is likely to be severely punished in the Premier League. He has loopholes of his own which needs to be addressed as soon as possible to embark on a sensational journey to the Premier League.
