Scout report: Olivier Kemen
Liverpool seem to be moving into overdrive with another bid for a young star. Newcastle’s Olivier Kemen might be in the shooting line for Liverpool as they bulk up their squad for the now and the future. The 18-year-old signed for Newcastle a couple of seasons ago and despite being the France U19 captain, he has not been able to break into the Newcastle first team. Frustrated by the lack of opportunities, he could be willing to move away from the club but who is this highly rated midfielder and what does he bring to the club?
A gifted individual who can make it big
Kemen is known for his play in the midfield, the best part is the fact that he does not have a fixed position when playing in central midfield. He is just as capable at playing in a defensive position as an attacking position and that would be a great feature for any club he does join. He joined Newcastle from Metz but hasn’t been able to break into the first team yet.
He has great strength and ability to run with the ball, another plus for someone who is trying to play in the Premier League. Kemen isn’t the finished article as of yet, there are a few chinks in his armour and he does not have enough time to fix it if he does want to break into the first team at Liverpool or Newcastle.
Apart from making lung bursting runs, Kemen is known for his attacking intent and his great tackling, and he is a good tackler who knows when to go for the ball and win it cleanly. The couple of issues with his game is his pace and shooting accuracy. He isn’t the fastest player in the world, but that can be taken care off if he plays in the central midfielders role or in a defensive role, the biggest issue is his shooting accuracy, he isn’t the best shooter of the ball and his accuracy isn’t the greatest either, that is something he would have to work on to ensure he breaks into any top team.
Kemen is a determined individual and based on reports from Newcastle, he is someone who is always giving it his all when playing on the pitch. He does not like to lose any game and that is motivation for someone so young. Kemen would be a great addition to any academy but is he ready to take that big step? Time is the only answer to that.