Yunus Musah has been one of the biggest surprises so far in La Liga.
This 18-year-old midfielder has played 78% of Valencias minutes so far and is starting to attract interest.
He has represented England from U15 to U19 levels but made his senior USMNT debut last month in a friendly match.
This tactical analysis will examine the reasons behind his quick rise.
Born in New York, Musah moved to England at the age of 10 and started playing for Arsenal Academy before joining Valencia B in 2019 on a free transfer.
Last season, he played six matches in the UEFA Youth League with Valencia U19 and 17 with Valencia B in the Segunda División B, the third tier of Spanish football.
His impact was quickly noted, and he’s been fast-tracked to the first team, making his debut at the age of 17.
Yunus Musah Style Of Play
Musah broke into Valencia’s first team as a right midfielder in Javi Gracia’s 4-4-2 formation, but his position when coming through the academy was different.
Naturally, a central midfielder, his power and dribbling ability make him a decent option to play from either wing, where his youth and lack of experience make mistakes less dangerous for his team.
His size is enough for any midfield position too, standing at 178 cm / 6’0’’.
When playing with the USMNT, Musah can be seen in a more central position, acting on either side of a diamond midfield.
In that tactical setup, he has more freedom to come inside, get close to the defenders to help in the buildup, and appear between the lines.
Musah can play in any position in the aforementioned diamond, and his influence can be seen all around the pitch.
Below, we can see Musah’s heat map for this season with Valencia.
As we have mentioned, he doesn’t enjoy as much freedom with Valencia as he does with the national team, so he’s closer to the right side of the pitch.
We can see how he appears in more central positions and likes to be closer to the defenders to take the ball and progress from there, fitting in different tactics.
Yunus Musah Dribbling and progressing ability
Musah’s main strength is his dribbling ability and his power when running with the ball.
He can take rivals on in very different situations in tight and bigger spaces, making him a very adaptable player.
His ability on
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