It is not very often that the Allsvenskan league generate youngsters that go on to become icons of football, but the recent upward trajectory in the career of a certain 17-year-old forward is creating a lot of news. Alexander Isak, the sensational youngster from Sweden is making the headlines after it was reported that Real Madrid are queuing up to lure him to Santiago Bernabéu.
Dubbed as the ‘next Zlatan Ibrahimović’, Isak is the latest appreciable property in the football fraternity and his popularity is escalating after every game he has played so far this season for AIK. We have compiled a brief SWOT Analysis to assess the prospects of the young gun that is on the verge of being roped in by a mega club from Europe (with Real Madrid believed to be the front-runners to sign him).
Strengths
At 6’3”, Isak’s commanding physical presence is well complemented by his sound technical abilities. He loves to dribble as his daunting figure makes him an appealing commodity for heading the aerial balls to perfection. With his finishing skills being top notch, the youngster is cool headed, has a decent pace, holds up play and withstands the combative nature of Swedish league with sheer ease.
With 10 goals from 24 appearances, the Swedish Under-21 player boasts of being a livewire up front and tries to place himself in every offensive movement of AIK. Despite being of a tender age, he is unfazed, always aware at the vicinity of the box and is intriguingly confident with the ball at his feet. He chases down the opponents with a notable determination when any pass is played down the flanks and lashes onto every loophole of the opponents’ defence.
Weaknesses
Players of his age group do come with certain frailties and Isak is no exception. He is a substandard commodity when it comes to defending and has barely contributed anything defensive wise. Further, passing isn’t his strongest suit and he misplaces a lot of passes which enable the opponents with the chance of punishing his side.
Opportunities
If he can continue to dominate the headlines for good reasons, European heavyweights shall leave no stone unturned to lure him. Apart from being a lethal forward, he is versatile enough to ply his trade anywhere in the attacking midfield which makes him a complete package. With a move to a much more renowned club, he can elevate his stature to new heights with one or two loan moves before being good enough to cement his place in the first team squad.
Threats
Isak has plenty of spheres to improvise on and a hasty move can severely cripple his career. At the onset, he is indeed reminiscent of legendary Zlatan Ibrahimović, but it is a tad too early to draw a conclusion. With all due respect to AIK, Isak is employed in a league much inferior to the likes of La Liga or Premier League where in the latter one, even Ibrahimović is finding it troublesome to find his touch and consistency.