Know More About PSG’s Young Expensive Defender

DBasia.news – Knappenschmiede, the Schalke 04 academy are also popular compared to La Masia or Southampton academy in Europe. They often create the young football players with great talents. Manuel Neuer, Mesut Ozil, Leroy Sane, Max Meyer, and Leon Goretzka, are some names of Knappenschmiede’s alumni known in Europe. It was just a few names.

The same thing goes to the 21-year-old defender, Thilo Kehrer, who signed by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from Schalke worth 37 million euro. Kehrer led the most expensive defender throughout Bundesliga’s history besides Jannik Vestergaard, Medhi Benatia, Abdou Diallo, and Mats Hummels. The public wondered, who is Kehrer actually?

U19 Bundesliga and U21 Euro Winner

With Burundi-Germany blood, Kehler chose to represent his fathers country, Germany. Kehrer came from Stuttgart academy to Schalke in 2012 and joined the main squad of U19 Schalke. He brought the Gelsenkirchen club to win the 2014/2015 Bundesliga and assisted the 3-1 victory against Hoffenheim in the final round.

At that time, Kehrer was the captain and played in the same team with Manchester City player, Leroy Sane. In summer 2015, Kehrer joined Schalke main squad and performed while replacing Benedikt Howedes and Naldo, two main defenders who got injured and absented.

The name of a player who was born in Tubingen, September 21, 1996, stole the spotlight when he played in Revierderby between Schalke and Borussia Dortmund in 2017. Surprisingly, Kehrer saved his team from the defeat by scoring the balancing goal 1-1 responding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang goal. Since then, his popularity known. The talent scouts were monitoring him. Stil in the same year, Kehrer’s career rocketed by his success with Germany national team to win the U21 Euro under Stefan Kuntz. Domenico Tedesco’s arrival in Schalke also developed Kehrer’s career last season.

Tedesco was so brave in experimenting with the strategy by relying on the young players to innovate the style in Germany. Tedesco isn’t an experienced coach. In Germany, they were called laptop – lack of experience but have a great insight into football.

The alumnus of popular coaching academy in Germany Hennes Weisweiler was successfully maximizing the talent of young players like Amine Harit, Meyer, Goretzka, Nabil Bentaleb, Weston McKennie, and brought Schalke to finish as the runner-up for Bundesliga.

Kehrer played 27 times in Bundesliga and his name got more popular in Europe. Eric Abidal who previously played as the defender, know for sure how to differentiate the great defender, and he praised Kehrer.

Most noteworthy, PSG signed Kehrer this summer, when PSG were rumored to recruit Germany defender with more experience, Jerome Boateng from Bayern Munchen. If PSG chose him as the priority over Boateng, sure Kehrer isn’t an ordinary player.

Multifunction Player

Norbert Elgert was the one who found the young talents from Schalke academy. He is the teacher of Schalke football academy and witnessed the talent development of Ozil, Neuer, Julian Draxler, and now see it in Kehrer.

One of Kehrer’s biggest powers that delights all the coaches in this world is his ability to play in many positions. Central-back, wing-back, defending midfielder, or even the wing striker. With his speed, Kehrer could play in many sectors.

Seeing his weight, it seems like Kehrer has no physical strength. But he covers it with the speed and intelligence in doing tackle, also his wisdom to play calmly though he is still 21.

All of his profiles suitable with the desired player criteria of Germany PSG coach, Thomas Tuchel who once coached Dortmund. Kehrer could play in any positions, young, and surely, could be the long-term investment for PSG. The exact same thing as when they recruited Marquinhos from Roma.

Examining how PSG spend in the transfer market and analyzing Kehrer’s signing, seems like the policy to recruit players has changed. Enough with the world-record transfer Neymar and the previous star players, PSG now choose to build the squad for the future by collecting the talented young players.

Kehrer, Marquinhos, Giovani Lo Celso, Presnel Kimpembe, Alphonse Areola, Kylian Mbappe, and Yacine Adli are some names predicted to be the next star (Mbappe already) players in the future.