Scout Report – Umaro Embalo
Manchester United have completed the signing of 16-year-old Umaro Embalo from Portuguese giants Benfica. This wasn’t really a sudden move since Embalo has been on United’s radar for almost a year now. The youngster was also pursued by Real Madrid, but United managed to snap up the promising forward. It is uncertain as to how much United paid for him, but it is believed that Mourinho played a major role in convincing Embalo to join the Old Trafford club.
He did not receive the call-up to join Benfica’s first team and is unlikely to break into United’s anytime soon. However, the most important thing for Embalo at this stage of his career is the coaching and training he receives instead of match time. Having said that, the player has excelled on many fronts. Let’s take a closer look at his profile.
History
Embalo is a 16-year-old Bissau-born forward who can play as a right-winger and as a centre-forward. The youngster joined Benfica in 2015 and has been hailed as one of the brightest attacking talents in Portugal.
Despite being eligible to play for Guinea, the player chose to represent Portugal until the Under-17 level. He managed to score 15 goals in 18 outings for the Under-17 national side, and at club level, he featured for the SL Benfica B side.
Playing Style
Embalo predominately prefers to play on the wing and seemingly emulates Angel Di Maria’s style. He cuts inside from the right on to his preferred left foot and is adept at playing the ball off the ground. The player loves doing layoffs and is quite strong when it comes to shooting from distance.
The 16-year-old is strong at crossing and dribbling and has a penchant for taking set-pieces. However, the player is weak when it comes to defensive contribution and tackling. Also, his focus often ends up wavering for most parts of the game, and that is something he will have to work on in the future.
Embalo’s Future
Manchester United will undoubtedly be a good place for the youngster to hone and develop his trade. Embalo will join the club’s youth side upon arrival in England. The fans should be happy with this news as there were some concerns about their lack of recruitment of youth prospects over the last few seasons. Plus, signing young attackers from Portugal has worked out exceptionally well for Manchester United in the past, and Embalo will hope to take that trend forward.