Eintracht Frankfurt, as a club, have become known in recent years as a club rife with talent. This talent has often seen the club eventually make a substantial financial profit that allows them to bring in quality young players they can then mould into future stars. The club has been home to talents such as Randal Kolo-Muani, Willian Pacho and Filip Kostić to name a few, all of which played a role in the clubs’ recent successes from a competitive standpoint, and have gone on to help finance the next wave of exciting players.
This season, Frankfurt has made some very interesting signings, bringing in the likes of Hugo Ekitiké on a permanent deal, along with young talents like Oscar Højlund and most notably Can Uzun, who could very much become exciting additions to Frankfurt’s already burgeoning squad.
Uzun in particular was regarded as quite the coup when Frankfurt announced his signing. Bundesliga clubs including Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich also vied for his signature, but to no avail. It is a credit to Frankfurt that they were able to present a project that gave Uzun the confidence to join them.
With such an exciting player in their midst, it only makes sense to take a closer look at just what type of player Frankfurt are getting and how head coach Dino Toppmöller is likely to use him. Right off the bat, we can confidently say that in Uzun, Frankfurt is getting a verified attacking threat.
Over the course of the last 50 games, Uzun has mostly occupied the central attacking midfield (13 appearances) and the center forward positions (8 appearances) at FC Nürnberg, with a handful of appearances in central midfield and out wide as well. During his time with Nürnburg, Uzun established himself as one of the 2. Bundesliga’s deadliest players, scoring 16 goals and providing two assists in the process.
Per FBRef, Uzun’s goal output sits at 0.58 goals per 90, which puts him in the 98th percentile when compared to players of a similar position in the last year. He was also very proficient in terms of take ons with the player succeeding in 2.42 take ons per 90, also putting him in a high (86th) percentile in this category.
Beyond just the stats, the player’s vision, timing of passing and technical quality have been highlighted as some of the many assets he has in his arsenal that make him such an exciting player. His incisive passing often unlocks opposition defences, marking him far more than just a goal scorer and in the right setup he could really flourish in terms of not just goal scoring, but also production.
The question then is, with his versatility and football IQ in mind, where would he fit in Frankfurt’s starting 11 under Toppmöller? The answer is of course is right behind the main striker, which in this case would be Hugo Ekitiké. This would likely be as the sole attacking midfielder, as he played in Nürnburg, or partnered with another attacking player just behind the striker. Last season, Toppmöller deployed the likes of Chaïbi and Marmoush to play right behind Ekitiké, and we may see a similar formation this season, with Uzun competing with them for a starting position.
At Frankfurt, Uzun will have the benefit of playing with a variety of talented players both young and experienced, which could see them boast a very talented and attack-minded midfield. An attack consisting of an in-form Ekitiké and/or Marmoush, backed with midfield components such as Mario Götze, Larsson and Chaïbi could really see Uzun’s game elevated in a way that he becomes the club’s next attacking jewel.
