At Euro 2020, Austria fell to the eventful winners Italy in the round of 16, and whilst they boasted talents from David Alaba, Marcel Sabitzer and Sasa Kalajdzic, their squad had a distinct lack of youth.
Christoph Baumgartner was the youngest player in the squad at 21 (and the only player under 23), so it would be easy to presume that Austria’s U21 pool of players aren’t quite there yet in their development.
But this isn’t quite the case. With Nicolas Seiwald breaking into the RB Salzburg team near the end of the 20/21 season and U21 captain Flavius Daniliuc rotating into the starting eleven for Nice, Austria have a crop of youngsters right on the cusp of the senior squad, none so more talented than Yusuf Demir.
The Vienna born attacker first made a name for himself at the U19 Mercedes-Benz Junior Cup in 2019, picking up the player of the tournament at only 15, before retaining the award a year later as Rapid Vienna picked up the trophy.
By this point, Demir was already making great strides in the senior game, making his debut in December of 2019 and often coming off the bench as the campaign concluded. During the 20/21 season, Demir was solidifying himself in the Rapid Vienna first team, making 25 appearances and even making his Austrian senior squad debut in march of this year in a World Cup qualifying match against the Faroe Islands.
This month Barcelona secured a loan for the teenager for the 21/22 season, with the option to purchase him the season after for €10m, fending off interest from Manchester United, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. In this piece I’ll examine exactly why Demir is so highly coveted around Europe, and why it may be one of Barcelona’s smartest pieces of business in recent memory.
Play Style
In his short career so far, Demir has been deployed in all three positions behind the striker in Dietmar Kühbauer’s 4–2–3–1, although the Austrian coach has preferred to play Demir down the middle in the famous ‘10’ role during the latter parts of the season.
Demir’s heatmap throughout the 20/21 season in all competitions showcases the teenager’s tendency to drift into the right half space off the ball, a natural trait for a left footer as it opens up much more of the pitch ahead of him.
Strengths
Although having only just turned 18, Demir possesses an array of skills that set him up nicely for almost all roles asked of him, where he truly shines however is receiving the ball in between the lines with space right in front of him. Additionally, if the space isn’t there, he faces little problems with creating it himself.
Demir should not be pigeon holed as a creator. He has the passing range no doubt, but don’t mistake him for anything but a modern attacker. A willingness to shoot? Yep. A burst of pace to run in behind? Definitely. The intelligence to find space wherever he goes? You bet. The height to win every back post header?…Okay no, but three out of four is still pretty good!
At 5’6, Demir uses his low centre of gravity and small frame to entice defenders towards him. Slowing the ball down, he’ll patiently wait for a defender to make the first move, before sweeping the ball with his favoured left foot into the space left behind the incoming defender, more often than not having the pace to get away and carry the ball into space.
Lulling the opposing player into a false sense of security is a common trait of Demirs, with the 18 year old using the same technique to play line breaking passes. Once the defender makes a move, Demir often plays a low driven pass to the side of him, before following the ball behind.
This can be seen just below. Demir allows himself to be pressed twice, both times finding the space left by the defender as an opening for a progressive pass. Whilst this didn’t result in a goal this time, it’s clear to see how instrumental the teenager is to his sides chance creating actions.
Despite only weighing around 70kg (this varies from source to source), Demir needn’t bulk up too much. He’s surprisingly difficult to shrug off the ball, and in situations where you fancy the opposition player in a physical battle, Demir bursts away from them in a mesmeric zig-zag pattern with his quick feet and close control before they have the chance to pressure him.
Last year Demir averaged .64NPxG+xA per 90 in the league, and with six goals and three assists, he’s proving to be a real asset in front of goal, finding two ‘signature’ patterns of scoring.
With space in front, and usually in the right half space, Demir will attempt to find his way centrally, often finding room to shoot just outside the box to the keeper’s right.
In the clip below, Demir does exactly this. Picking the ball up on the half turn is something he does quite often, allowing him to push the ball into space and leaving defenders chasing his shadow.
The other way is much less appealing on the eye but much more efficient. Following a counter attack or a press, and with the opposition defenders back peddling, Demir will situate himself as the free runner, finding space in and around the six yard box to tap home from a cutback or a deflection.
Above is Demir’s shot map for the 20/21 season across all competitions, showcasing the amount of shots he picks up in and around the six yard spot courtesy of the third man runs he’s developed over the season. Whilst he’s found some success outside the box after coming in from the right, he’s got some more work to do on his accuracy before you akin the move to him as many do to Arjen Robben.
Weaknesses
It’s easy to forget that Demir only turned 18 a month ago. He carries himself with the maturity and drive you’d see from someone with five full seasons to their name. But don’t let this article make you think Demir is the finished product, he’s certainly not there yet.
To start, Demir sometimes loses the ball due to his directness. Granted, he wins a lot of fouls so it isn’t always a loss of possession and therefore a minor occurrence, but the high-risk high-reward of his carries and passes sometimes leaves his teammates scrambling back into their defensive shape. I’d argue this is less a trait that Demir should aim to fix (as it only stifles his directness), but more so a feature of his game that teammates and coaches need to accommodate for.
For me, Demir’s over reliance of his left foot is the largest drawback to his game. He rarely uses his right, even in situations where the angles actively encourage it. Adding the ability to carve out chances with his right foot will give his team a much better chance when Demir if forced into uncomfortable situations, which will only increase as players and coaches begin to learn more about him.
What’s Next?
The transfer to Barcelona is…confusing. Likely due to their dire financial situation, Barca have found a way to secure one of the best teenage prospects in the world, and will only have to pay a measly 10m, and even then it isn’t for another year. It’s only a loan as it stands, but Barca would be fools not to activate the option, and when have they ever been fools??
For all the over priced, tactically unfit and overall questionable transfers The Blaugrana has made in recent times, this is a stellar acquisition.
With Demir’s contract up in 2023, Rapid Vienna likely saw this as the last chance to sell for significant money, but the fact they lose him this year and fail to receive any money until the following summer does make you ponder if there was a smarter deal for them to discuss with another club.
Demir has made his love for Barcelona no secret, but the move does seem very premature. Sure, he’s likely to feature for the B team rather than the senior to start, but another season in a more comfortable league where he’s already been given the creative freedom to play how he wishes would have arguably been better for his development. Had he stayed a year and refined his game in Austria, suitors would have increased, not reduced.
I have no doubt that Demir has the potential and the drive to succeed at one of the biggest clubs in the world, but with his move coming so early in his career, he needs to take the opportunity with both hands, right now.
Stats courtesy of Wyscout.
