Stanislav Lobotka : The best Frenkie De Jong alternative out there

LuckyScout78

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Instead of best. I would use the words. Stanislav Lobotka is closest to the De Jong you can get. And why?
Now. We will take a closer look of this really good cm and deep laying playmaker for Napolia and Slovakia


Date of Birth : 25.Nov.94 (28 years of age)
Height: 170 cm
Position: CM. Deep laying playmaker. Nr.6
Prefer foot : Right
Club : Napoli
M.V : 38 mill Euros
Contract expires : Jun.30.2027


I start first with a visual football description on what he can do on the pitch:



His football abilities in keywords:

+ Really high and good level of keeping the ball under pressure. We can see it clearly in the video above. Not only came out of the pressure, but he advance further on the pitch with the ball too
+ Ability to pass opponent players from central midfield and deep area.
+ Composure and high confidence with the ball
+ Aggressive

And his complete pass rate is really really high. The stats from whoscored:

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/111892/Show/Stanislav-Lobotka


Let us compare Lobotka complete pass vs Frenkie De Jong

Lobotka :
Serie A : Avg = 61.5 passes . Complete passes = 94.5 %
Champion league: Avg Passes = 62.3 Complete passes = 91.6 %


Frenkie De Jong :
La Liga: Avg passes = 60.3 passes Complete passes = 90.7 %
Champion league: Avg passes = 42.3 Complete passes = 88.8 %


So the stats is showing that Lobotka had more complete passes than De Jong 94.5 vs 90.7 %

And the 94.5 % if i am not wrong is the highest i have ever seen from a player. Due to whoscored. A crazy number. Even De Jong is not matching it.


Sum up. From what i have seen. From live and full matches and video clips. Lobotka can do what De Jong is doing on the pitch. More precise with the ball than De Jong. And like i said in the beginning.
Lobotka is the closest to De Jong you can get. A cm player that a really good to keep the ball under pressure and come away and move further up the ball after that.
In other words. Lobotka doesn't only have a precise and good right foot. He has ability to make run forward with the ball too. And that is what i think why Ten Hag want De Jong from Barcelona. A deep laying playmaker.


And i will conclude: "Lobotka is the best value for money out there " as a deep laying playmaker or a Frenkie De Jong alternative.

Lobotka's M.V is = 38 mill euros
Frenkie De Jong = 60 mill euros


Lobotka will win Scudetto and Serie A with Napoli this season and can reach really far in champion league with Napoli. After winning serie A with Napoli. Then he will get the experience and know how to play on the consistent max and top level over a season and which level is demanding to go really far in champion league.

Sum of all those reasons and experience. Like i said above. To get a new top creative and really good CM playmaker.
Stanislav Lobotka is " best value for money "


And to Manchester United whole squad analysis : I think and believe United and Ten Hag is 3 key factors and top players to become good enough to win premier league.


+ A world class and beast CB : Kim Min Jae
+ A world class or closeset to top level of a cm deep laying playmaker = Lobotka or Frenkie De Jong
+ A world class or top CF : Osimhen, Kane or Ramos


Potential line up


Bissaka/Dalot - Kim Min Jae - Martinez - Shaw/Malacia + Antony/Sancho - Bruno - Rashford/Garnacho + Osimhen/Kane/Ramos & Martial


There you have. United and Ten Hag are 3 really key important players and factors to win premier league:

A top and beast CB + A top deep laying playmaker CM + A top CF


Back to Stanislav Lobotka. I think and believe if Min Jae and a top CF coming. Lobotka in that line up over a whole season will be good enough to help United winning the premier league.
So i think United and Ten Hag shall watch closer on and take a closer look on Stanislav Lobotka before deciding which new top cm playmaker they shall buy and go for in the summer.


A honest comparison to see where Stanislav Lobotka is :

Stanislav Lobotka is better both Eriksen and Sabitzer. Stanislav Lobotka > Eriksen & Sabitzer

Eriksen is better in the offensive than Lobotka. But on a top consistent level for Napoli. Week in and week out. As a allround cm playmaker i rate Lobotka better both of Eriksen and Sabitzer.

In other words. United shall Lobotka instead of Sabitzer if not De Jong. You are not pick Sabitzer over Lobotka.

Lobotka is " best value for money out there " as a deep laying cm playmaker.
 

LuckyScout78

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Impulse said:
I'm sure he signed a new contract about a week ago.
Click to expand...
Even a world champion winner Enzo Fernandez left Benfica after just half year and season into his contract.
If Napoli is satisfy with the bid they will sell.

It is a reasony why Napoli gave Lobotka new contract. To have a better conditions to deal with a potential transfer.

Yeah. I have said before. Sorry to Napoli fans.

Napoli and Benfica will be like Monaco some years back in time. All theirs best players left after a succesful season.

Napoli and Benfica will be in the same situation too.
 

berbatrick

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I was wondering why you were only talking about pass %, and then...





He's slightly better defensively, he's slightly safer on the ball, but he's much less creative with his passing, his dribbling isn't in the same league, and much less productive with G/A. I haven't seen him so can't judge, but using just 1 stat is suspicious!
 

avgp_1

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My favourite player to watch alongside Kvara in that side. As important as him I would say. Been great for him that Ruiz has left and he has the energy of Anguissa and Zielinski around.

Wish we could sign him but he renewed I think
 

DWelbz19

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berbatrick said:
I was wondering why you were only talking about pass %, and then...





He's slightly better defensively, he's slightly safer on the ball, but he's much less creative with his passing, his dribbling isn't in the same league, and much less productive with G/A. I haven't seen him so can't judge, but using just 1 stat is suspicious!
Click to expand...
Frenkie is a bit of a unicorn, annoyingly. Why are there no other central midfielders who are as good at ball retention but also skip past players and progress the ball with their own dribbling ability out there?
 

P-Nut

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DWelbz19 said:
Frenkie is a bit of a unicorn, annoyingly. Why are there no other central midfielders who are as good at ball retention but also skip past players and progress the ball with their own dribbling ability out there?
Click to expand...
Yeah there is no one close to him. Only person with a similar skill set (although he plays the game differently) would be Modric for me
 

avgp_1

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DWelbz19 said:
Frenkie is a bit of a unicorn, annoyingly. Why are there no other central midfielders who are as good at ball retention but also skip past players and progress the ball with their own dribbling ability out there?
Click to expand...
Kone has some similar traits as Frenkie. He is putting in quite a few mature performances this season.

Would love to see him in a possession based team
 

AjaxCunian

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Wanted to create or bump his thread a few weeks ago, he's a lovely player that Ajax has regretted missing out on. Would be great next to Casemiro and really help is to play more on the front foot.

But he's no Frenkie, as always argued, Frenkie is just a marvelous complete midfielder who's one in his kind.

When he hits his potential and is used rightly, probably the best midfielder out there in my view. Seems to be hitting that level this season.
 

Terranova

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AjaxCunian said:
Wanted to create or bump his thread a few weeks ago, he's a lovely player that Ajax has regretted missing out on. Would be great next to Casemiro and really help is to play more on the front foot.

But he's no Frenkie, as always argued, Frenkie is just a marvelous complete midfielder who's one in his kind.

When he hits his potential and is used rightly, probably the best midfielder out there in my view. Seems to be hitting that level this season.
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Ajax did not miss out on him. They let him go on purpose...
But yeah, great player, would be a good addition here.


adexkola said:
Spent some time on the Baltimore docks I heard
Click to expand...
Wasn't that Sobotka, not Lobotka?
 

Eleven-Eighteen

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Saw the first couple minutes of the video and the number of times he takes massive risks dribbling in front of his own goal is insane. My heart was in my mouth the whole time and it wasn't even a live United game
 

Niemans

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At Celta he had very good seasons. A player to whom you gave the ball and you had the peace of mind that the play was going to improve.
I don't know the level he has had lately at Napoli.
 

Jeffthered

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Top player, one of the best in Europe at the moment, of course would love him at United.... if, he wants to leave Napoli (why??), and if he wants to be at United etc. I think we also have to be a little astute in our scouting though.. this player was loaned at from Ajax to a Danish mid table club, then to Celta Vigo, before Napoli saw a player to be developed.

This is the approach I would prefer at United.. yes, we need that big player up top (Varane, Eriksen, Casimero..) proven quality.. but there are some v v good players out there, who are seeking a chance to prove themselves, and that hunger brings humility.. rather than continue with these big-bonaza, headline grabbing (and subsequently, rather underwhelming) signings, I mean look at Antony, Sancho, Maguire.

We're missing good players, because some just want the complete package, like something from a shelf at their local store. Wolves, Leicester, Everton, Brighton... all have players we should look at. Good scouting looks at player development. I remember Didier Drogba at Marseille... raw as hell (always way, way, way offside...) but you could see with some coaching, he could be sensational. Exactly what Jose did.

I hope ETH and his team is looking to work this way... it's good for United too!
 

Robertd0803

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I stopped reading after I read Napoli. The guy can be cloned from FDJ discarded toe nails, it will make no difference to the fact Napoli wont be selling half their team this summer.
 

VorZakone

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Niemans said:
At Celta he had very good seasons. A player to whom you gave the ball and you had the peace of mind that the play was going to improve.
I don't know the level he has had lately at Napoli.
Click to expand...
Fantastic. So reliable in that Napoli midfield.
 

Yagami

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I’ve been championing Lobotka for many, many years, but, no, he’s not the next best alternative to de Jong, though close. I’ve been on the lookout for a de Jong-esque player and this is what I’ve got.

The next best alternative is Arthur Melo. He’s in a league of his own as far as the alternatives go.

Then, a level below, you have:
Lobotka. Great at turning away from pressure and carrying the ball forwards when he’s forced to.

Amrabat. Though, since joining Fiorentina, he’s had his game changed by his managers. Instead of coming deep and turning away from opposition players and dribbling, he’s looked to pass straight away. This is a theme of most clubs/managers as they don’t want someone so deep taking the risks a player of that type does. At Verona, he was very similar to de Jong.

A tricky one is Matheus Henrique. At Gremio, I watched a lot of him after hearing Arthur comparisons and, though he was a level below, I was impressed. Has the La Pelopina turn in his locker, but, unlike the others, he didn’t look to carry the ball if there was a passing option. However, that was at Gremio. I haven’t seen too much of him at Sassuolo as it took him ages to earn his place in the team and, like Amrabat, he could have had his game changed.

Outside of them, there’s a few youth players I’ve seen who share de Jong’s qualities, but you never know if it will translate to senior football. They are:
Charlie Patino. For Arsenal’s youth team, he was the spits of de Jong, but it hasn’t completely translated to his Blackpool loan. He’s also incredibly one footed.

Lennard Hartjes. Youth player at Feyenoord who’s on loan at Roda JC.

The thing with these next ones are that they’re CBs, but they play exactly like Frenkie. Guus Baars (Feyenoord) & Olivier Aertssen (Ajax). I think they could both transition to that role. On a similar note, it’s why I think Timber could transition into said role, too.

Finally, we have a few in our academy who share similar qualities, but who knows. Galbraith, Iqbal, Gore, Mainoo.
 

Lay

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Yagami said:
The next best alternative is Arthur Melo. He’s in a league of his own as far as the alternatives go.
Click to expand...
I don't think he's even fit enough for that league
 

In Rainbows

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Yagami said:
I’ve been championing Lobotka for many, many years, but, no, he’s not the next best alternative to de Jong, though close. I’ve been on the lookout for a de Jong-esque player and this is what I’ve got.

The next best alternative is Arthur Melo. He’s in a league of his own as far as the alternatives go.

Then, a level below, you have:
Lobotka. Great at turning away from pressure and carrying the ball forwards when he’s forced to.

Amrabat. Though, since joining Fiorentina, he’s had his game changed by his managers. Instead of coming deep and turning away from opposition players and dribbling, he’s looked to pass straight away. This is a theme of most clubs/managers as they don’t want someone so deep taking the risks a player of that type does. At Verona, he was very similar to de Jong.

A tricky one is Matheus Henrique. At Gremio, I watched a lot of him after hearing Arthur comparisons and, though he was a level below, I was impressed. Has the La Pelopina turn in his locker, but, unlike the others, he didn’t look to carry the ball if there was a passing option. However, that was at Gremio. I haven’t seen too much of him at Sassuolo as it took him ages to earn his place in the team and, like Amrabat, he could have had his game changed.

Outside of them, there’s a few youth players I’ve seen who share de Jong’s qualities, but you never know if it will translate to senior football. They are:
Charlie Patino. For Arsenal’s youth team, he was the spits of de Jong, but it hasn’t completely translated to his Blackpool loan. He’s also incredibly one footed.

Lennard Hartjes. Youth player at Feyenoord who’s on loan at Roda JC.

The thing with these next ones are that they’re CBs, but they play exactly like Frenkie. Guus Baars (Feyenoord) & Olivier Aertssen (Ajax). I think they could both transition to that role. On a similar note, it’s why I think Timber could transition into said role, too.

Finally, we have a few in our academy who share similar qualities, but who knows. Galbraith, Iqbal, Gore, Mainoo.
Click to expand...
Angel Gomes after another year could develop (a big if) into a slightly different player, but he's been playing deeper than usual, and carries the ball well. He could become a decent squad option for cheap. He plays both as an attacking midfielder, and plays deeper in midfield too. Or we could develop (a big if) Mainoo into that role, or the Casemiro role. He's so young his position isn't as set as older players.

Dribbling per 90

Lobotka - 0.44 with 64.7% success
Frenkie - 1.36 with 61.4% success
Gomes - 0.98 with 56.1 % success

Passing per 90
Lobotka - 66.0 with 94.4%
Frenkie - 75.2 with 89.4%
Gomes - 55.2 with 85.3%

xAssists per 90
Lobotka - 0.03
Frenkie - 0.12
Gomes - 0.11

Tackles/Blocks/interceptions per 90
Lobotka - 2.46/1.03/0.52
Frenkie - 1.62/0.25/1.46
Gomes - 1.36/0.72/0.43
 
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