After a spectacular seven seasons with Club Brugge, Belgian international midfielder Hans Vanaken is rumored to be close to finally getting his big move at the age of 30. English Premier League side West Ham United are the interested party, with an apparent first bid of €10 million rejected by the Belgian champions. This however, has not deterred the east London club, with a rumored second bid coming shortly.
This Hans Vanaken scout report and tactical analysis piece will take a look at some of the strengths that Hans Vanaken possesses, and analyse why the five-time Belgian First Division A champion would be a tremendous fit for West Ham’s midfield, and squad as a whole.
Player profile
The image above shows Hans Vanaken’s heat map from the 2021/22 season. Last season under current Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder, Club Brugge were usually lined up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Vanaken playing as one of the central midfielders. While he spends most of his time on the left half of the pitch, the Belgian international sometimes will drift into a wider right position, depending on who his midfield partner was for the match.
Vanaken can be described as somewhat of a midfield general, with him being a leader on the pitch, as well as being the midfielder who likes to dictate play from a more advanced position. Though he can play as a #10, Vanaken is more suited to playing a #8 role, with this allowing the midfielder to cover more ground in the midfield, as well as being involved in both the attacking and defensive phases of play.
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