We’ve been examining five of Europe’s best attacking-midfield talents and Cengiz Under is next in the series. The task of filling the void left by Mohamed Salah is frightening. But a 21-year-old has taken up the challenge and has done justice to Roma’s trust in him. Find out why Under is considered one of the best young players in his position and read our methodology here.
STYLE OF PLAY
Under is more of a right-winger who can function as a right attacking-midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 system. Whether he cuts inside or takes the ball wide, he can prove to be a threat in the final third.
The Turk likes to play from the half-space and has been crucial in build-up. The wide midfielder’s deliveries into the box and cut-backs from wide positions are something to watch out for.
ATTRIBUTE RANKS (How the player ranks against the other players analysed)
Shots: 2
Key passes: 2
Expected goals+assists: 3
Successful dribbles: 4
Chances created: 2
Overall: 2
Cengiz Under radar
STRENGTHS
The radar above clearly indicates that Under is an all-rounded attacking midfielder. However, there are some traits that stats don’t cover.
To start with, the 21-year-old shows great composure for a player of his age and reacts well when responsibility is thrown at him.
He was tasked with filling the void left by Mohamed Salah – arguably the best player in the Premier League currently – and has done a fair job.
Another strength of Under that the stats don’t show is his brilliant decision-making. Intelligent positioning, when coupled with great decision-making can be deadly.
His chance-creation abilities too deserve a shout here. The Turkey international delivers perfect crosses and the five assists he has bagged this season is testament to this.
WEAKNESSES
Under is not the best dribbler of the ball and can be one-dimensional at times. He tends to over-complicate things and ends up losing the ball.
In situations where he could pass it to a team-mate, he tries taking on defenders and fails.
Physicality is another aspect he could work on. The 21-year-old gets pushed over quite easily – something that can seriously work against him in Serie A and especially would in the Premier League.
However, these are minor weaknesses and the youngster has time to work on them.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCE THIS SEASON
The youngster was arguably the best player on the pitch when Roma defeated Frosinone 4-0 earlier this season.
Under opened the scoring with a crisp, clean hit from distance following a spectacular dribble across Frosinone’s midfield.
He also picked up an assist in this game, as he set up Stephen El Shaarawy’s tap in and completed all three dribbles attempted, finishing with a passing accuracy of 91 percent.
VERDICT
Under has improved leaps and bounds at Roma and his eyes gleam of a bright future and a successful career.
He is priced at €35m by transfermarkt, but surely Roma won’t settle for such a low sum. €60m sounds like a suitable bid for this attacking midfield prospect.
SUITABLE FOR
Manchester United, Chelsea