Serhat Tasdemir, a 17-year-old winger from AFC Fylde has taken the fifth tier of English football by storm and many of the clubs from higher divisions are vying for his signature. Among them are Middlesbrough who will be in need of some attacking depth and talent to push for Premier League qualifications next season.
The Teessiders finished fifth this term and were in with a good shout for a place in the playoff finals. However, a narrow defeat against Aston Villa shattered their dreams and they will again have to fight it out another year in the Championship. The team certainly has improved since Tony Pulis took over and they had the third best defensive record in terms of goals conceded in the just concluded Championship.
However, they seem to lack some firepower in the attacking half of the pitch and that is where a signing like Serhat Tasdemir might come in handy. Tasdemir made 28 appearances and scored five goals which helped him earn a place in the division’s Under-23 Team of the Year.
Apart from Boro, Leicester City have also shown an interest in the youngster and if the Premier League club presents a concrete offer on the table, the Teessiders might lose out on their target. It could end up being another fairytale football story like Jamie Vardy if Tasdemir manages to perform well at the top level after coming from lower football divisions.
However, the youngster has still a long way to go before he can become something like the English striker but he has shown enough potential that he can play at much higher division than he is currently playing at. Tasdemir started his career with Blackburn Rovers before making a move to Fylde.
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Tasdemir can certainly strengthen Boro’s midfield and he and Adama Traore could be a big threat for their opponents from the wings. However, he will certainly need to get used to the quality and pace of the Championship and he is most likely to bide his time on the bench before he gets regular first team playing opportunities.
The 17-year-old is still young and can certainly improve on a lot of facets in his game. Apart from that, he is versatile and can play on either flank, though he prefers to play down the left. Only time will tell whether the youngster will become a success story in the future at the Riverside Stadium.
