SCOUT REPORT OF YOURI TIELEMANS
Team: R. Sporting Anderlecht
Height: 1.76 m
Nationality: Belgian
Date of Birth: 07/05/1997 (17 years old)
Preferred foot: Right
Position DM, CM, LB
Belgium has been a conveyor belt for fantastic talents over the last few years starting from their fantastic captain Vincent Kompany to the prodigal Divock Origi. It has become a common norm for all top clubs to have at least one Belgian player in the team which indicates the fantastic youth development system implemented in Belgium by the Belgian FA technical director Michel Sablon after the 2002 WC. There have been a number of young Belgians who have been under the radar of top clubs like Manchester City and Arsenal, one of them is Youri Tielemans who has produced some breath taking performance for the Anderlecht first team in both Champions League and the Belgian League.
Youri Tielemans holds a number of records both at the club level and the international level at such a tender age. He has made his debut first team appearance against Schalke after he impressed van de Brom by scoring 8 goals in 10 matches at the U 21 level. He first caught the eye of the footballing world after scoring a fantastic hat trick against Germany in the U-16 match. Soon after this, Tielemans was given his competitive debut against Sporting Lokeren after replacing Sacha Klejstan. Since then his superb ball distribution and his intent to start an attack has caught the eye of scouts all over Europe. Tielemans scored his first assist for the first team within 3 games and he was rewarded with a start against Olympaikos in the Champions League. In 2013, he was the only 16 year old playing in Europe’s elite tournament. He is currently the third youngest player to play in the UEFA Champions League at 16 years, 4 months and 25 days.
Strengths
Tielemans main strength is his fantastic passing range and ball distribution. For a player of 16 years he has unbelievable game intelligence and maturity. Excellent decision making is one of the most important attributes of a footballer and this comes naturally to Tielemans. Another eye catching aspect of his game is his fantastic vision; some of his passes will remind the viewers of a young Xabi Alonso. Tielemans has good dribbling skills for a midfielder and he is excellent at retaining possession. Though passing is an important aspect in football, it is also important to be in the right position to receive the right pass, Tielemans excels at this aspect of the game as he always makes himself available for a pass even if he is tightly marked.
A modern footballer is asked to play in several positions apart from his natural position. Tielemans has played in three different positions for the Anderlecht team. He has played as a defensive midfielder, box to box midfielder and as a left back. He has played fairly well in all three positions though he is a natural central midfielder. Besnik Hasi needs to mould him into a deep lying midfielder as he certainly has all the aspects to succeed in that position. Tielemans passing range and positioning can massively help him succeed in this role. The Belgians set piece delivery is another excellent aspect to his game. He delivers the free kicks and corners with laser precision which was rewarded by being given the responsibility for set pieces. Tielemans also makes some remarkable breath taking lobs into the box which has led to many Anderlecht goals this season.
Weakness
There are certain aspects of the game Tielemans has to work on if he is to fulfil his potential. In the modern game midfielders are expected to score at least around 5-6 goals per season, though Tielemans has a powerful right foot, he has to work on his shooting technique as he makes way too many wayward shots that affects the attack. At 5 ft 9.5 inches he is not exactly a tall player so he becomes a liability while defending a set piece. Tielemans needs to improve a lot on his defending headers as central midfielders are expected to contribute to the defence. At 17 years Tielemans is not exactly expected to be a very strong player but he needs to improve his physicality if he is to step into more physical leagues like the Premier League. His “one on one” ability is another weak factor in the game as many a times he simply isn’t skilful enough to get past certain defender.
Though Tielemans makes some fantastic decisions while going forward, his defensive contribution is mediocre. He needs to improve the timing of the tackles and his defensive positioning while the opposition is attacking. He also makes some occasional rash tackles that has resulted in disciplinary warnings for the player.
Verdict
Tielemans is another fantastic prospect from the Belgian conveyor belt but at the tender age of 16 he needs to be handled with care. Besnik Hasi must be very careful about not over utilising the player and burning him out. Tielemans also needs to improve physically as strength is an important attribute for a modern footballer. Though many clubs like Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham etc are on the look-out for this youngster he needs to move to a team like Ajax which has an excellent youth development system. Many youngsters who move to big Premier League teams are wasted in the U-21 league so he will receive more experience if he plays for a top club like Ajax which has a history of developing some of the greatest talents in world football.
Arsenal scout Ty Gooden is a great admirer of the player and has watched him in many league and European games. Belgium captain Vincent Kompany recommended Tielemans to Manchester City and they almost signed him though the move broke down after his parents wanted him to stay in Belgium to complete his education. Liverpool and Tottenham scouts have also visited many Anderlecht games to keep tab on the kid.
Tielemans can easily develop into a world class player but his development must be complemented by some excellent coaches who can correct his weakness and improve his game. If all goes well Anderlecht may have found the next Xabi Alonso!