Manchester City are firmly in the race to sign Benfica’s midfield prodigy Tiago Dantas. The 17-year-old has impressed in the Ledman Liga Pro and the UEFA Youth League this season and could be on the verge of moving to the Etihad, according to CityWatch.
But what is he all about? Here is a SWOT analysis of this Portuguese midfield sensation targeted by Manchester City.
Strengths
Tiago Dantas is mainly known for his exquisite passing and technical prowess in midfield. Much like Borussia Dortmund star Julian Weigl, Dantas loves to circulate possession and often excels in the possession-based system, where he can take control of the midfield with his excellent technical qualities.
However, what makes Dantas such a sought-after talent is his versatility. The 17-year-old can play anywhere across the midfield and unlike Weigl, he is an energetic midfielder, who loves to roam across the middle third and play a key role in the pressing scheme.
Dantas is quite agile and covers space very quickly – which is an ideal characteristic for any young player nowadays, especially for a budding midfielder. Also, the Portuguese starlet is tactically astute, largely thanks to his excellent positional awareness which will only get better with more experience.
Weaknesses
A young player can have many flaws in his game, and Dantas fails to tick the box when it comes to the physical aspect of the game. He can easily be dispossessed, and his frame of 1.69 poses a disadvantage when dealing with aerial duels – both of which can be deemed as significant weaknesses in English football.
Indeed, Dantas’ lack of physical attributes restricts him from being an all-round midfielder who can not just recycle possession but also dispossess opposition midfielders on a regular basis.
Opportunities
It would be unrealistic to believe that Tiago Dantas will immediately be regarded as a first-team choice if he moves to Etihad. But, the 17-year-old is undoubtedly blessed with immense potential and given his excellent technical prowess, there is every chance he can develop into a world-class player under the guidance of Pep Guardiola.
For the time being, he can be an excellent addition for the Manchester City reserves.
Threats
While lack of physical prowess will surely remain an issue for Dantas, it’s his lack of experience which could be a serious issue for the Portuguese given the fact that he is yet to break into Benfica’s first-team. Yes, because of his age it is a natural occurrence despite his talent but the competition and the level of Manchester City’s first team means there is a slim chance he can hone his skills at the top level any time soon.
As a result, Dantas will have to contend with playing for the reserves for at least a couple of years. Thus, remaining at Benfica could be the more logical approach for the 17-year-old where he will find it easier to break into the first team and experience a comparatively higher level of football for the time being.