Leicester City Interested In 21 Y/O Spanish Sensation: A SWOT Analysis

According to Cadena Cope(via Talksport), Leicester City are mulling over a move for Brais Mendez. The Celta Vigo midfielder has caught the eye, of late, especially after making an impressive debut for Spain last week.

As a result, the Foxes are more than willing to lodge a bid for the 21-year-old in the upcoming January transfer window.

But is he worth the fuss? Here is a SWOT analysis of the Spanish midfielder targeted by the 2016 Premier League champions.

Strengths

Brais Mendez is an attack-minded midfielder who is blessed with excellent technical prowess in the middle of the park.

He is proficient in creating chances for his teammates in the final third, which is indicative of the fact that the Celta Vigo star has notched up 19 key passes so far this season – which is only bettered by Ousmane Dembele among all the under 21-year-olds in Spain.

Mendez also excels in distributing the ball, having attained a pass accuracy of 78%, which is impressive for a counter-attacking team like Celta.

In addition, he averages over three tackles and 3.1 attempts per game, 1.3 of which comes from outside of the box, indicating his long-range shooting prowess.

Weaknesses

Despite boasting an impressive skillset, Brais Mendez has his certain set of weaknesses, one of which is his lack of defensive output. Although the 21-year-old loves to tackle, his overall defensive numbers are pretty low, notably making just four interceptions in nine matches.

He’s also not much of a threat in the air, largely due to his frame of 1.83m while his biggest flaw is his lack of composure on the ball.

In just nine matches this season, Mendez has been already dispossessed nine times while making 11 unsuccessful touches – numbers that definitely need to improve if he is to make a mark in the Premier League.

Opportunities

Mendez has been in fiery form, of late, having been involved in five goals in his last three matches which was capped off perfectly by scoring a goal in his international debut with Spain.

He can be an ideal signing for Leicester given their lack of depth in the creative department, especially with James Maddison being their only reliable source of creativity.

Threats

As mentioned earlier, Mendez’s lack of composure could be an issue in the Premier League, even more so considering the fast-paced nature of English football.

He is also an inexperienced midfielder, having only made 28 appearances in the Spanish top flight. Therefore, making the transition to the English top flight could prove to be difficult for the Celta Vigo star.

Stat courtesy: Whoscored