Werder Bremen were flying in the German league the season I wrote this, with young players breaking into the first team. Jonah Osabutey was one who had made the most of limited chances. He was out on loan at Royal Excel Mouscron at the time, and Bremen were keen to get the Ghanaian back. This is how the profile read then.
Player Profile: Jonah Osabutey
Date of birth: 8 Oct, 1998
Place of birth: Ghana
Nationality: Ghana
Height: 181cm
Position: Centre forward (also left midfield)
Preferred foot: Right
Who was Jonah Osabutey?
By the time I wrote this he had scored 3 and set up 4 in 16 appearances after making his loan debut. There had been speculation he might not crack the Bremen first team, but his fitness and drive had answered it. His aim was to get back to Bremen off the back of the loan. Playing off the left, he had the raw tools a striker needs to grow into a modern centre forward.
His style of play
I liked that he played with his own edge. Given his height and technique he was more of a talisman than a pure poacher, the sort of forward who wants the ball to feet and a bit of room rather than a simple tap-in. From the flanks his game had a bit of Wilfried Zaha to it, drifting from wide into central areas and running at defenders once he got a head of steam. Through the middle he leaned more towards Olivier Giroud of Chelsea, with the touch to bring others in and the finish to match. In attack he punished defenders for any half-chance, and a striker who is comfortable both wide and central is a useful thing to have in a squad, even if it can leave a young player without one settled position.
His strengths
The Giroud and Zaha comparisons came from how well he used the ball once he got it. His height helped him win it in the air, which for a young forward is a quick way into a manager's plans because it gives the side an out-ball under pressure. With his heading and finishing he was a real handful up top, and he had the stamina to run the full 90 rather than fade after an hour. When his side needed a goal he tended to step up, and that willingness to want the moment is not something you can coach into a striker who does not already have it.
His weaknesses
He was a natural finisher, but there were gaps. His defending was poor and his tackling was not up to par. That is a slightly unfair yardstick for a striker, and his overall output was strong, so I put it down as work in progress rather than a red flag.
Stats analysis at the time
Osabutey had featured in 16 matches that season, starting plenty of them, and I thought Royal Excel Mouscron was the right platform for him. He had been loaned there after impressing with Bremen's B team the previous campaign.
Given how little time he had to settle with a new set of teammates, the 3 goals and 4 assists read better than the bare numbers suggest, especially for a struggling mid-table side. Mouscron had a habit of developing talent, so it was a sensible landing spot for him.
He was settling in slowly but surely and, I felt, having a solid season on a stage without too much pressure.
Career picture then
Osabutey had come a long way, moving countries to chase the game. Bremen clearly rated him, having handed him a first-team contract at the end of the previous season. He was not the finished article, and confidence looked like the missing piece more than talent, but he was pushing hard.
Transfer history at the time
- 16/17: Moved from Tema Youth SC (Ghana) to Werder Bremen U19
- 17/18: Werder Bremen U19 to Werder Bremen II
- 19/20: Promoted from Werder Bremen II to Werder Bremen
- 19/20: Loan from Werder Bremen to Royal Excel Mouscron
He had been chasing this a long time and working at it. There was still adaptation to European football to do, which can feel like a lot at that age, but the direction looked right.
Our view and prediction then
The way I saw it, confidence rather than ability was going to decide how far he went. Bremen believing in him mattered, and I expected that to give him something to repay. He was hungry, and I thought that counted for a lot.
On the transfer side, Transfermarkt valued him at 0.35 million at the time of writing on 02/12/2019. I guessed it would climb towards 0.8 million at the next update, and that a full 19/20 season of around 34 appearances, minutes included, could take it past 1.25 million. A good season of roughly 20 games I pinned near 1 million; a very good one near 2 million.
I predicted he would stay at Bremen for 20/21 and have a good season, and I named Schalke and OGC Nice as candidates if a very good campaign followed, with a Nice move penciled in for 21/22. That was my call at the time, and I am leaving it on the record.
Summary
Osabutey was a talent to watch. Ability was never the concern for me, confidence was, and with a striker that is usually the hardest gap to close because it lives in the head rather than the training-ground drills. I thought a breakthrough would come once he cleared that hurdle, and the raw materials, the height, the finish, the appetite for the big moment, were all there for it. That was where the story stood when I wrote this profile.