The lowdown from IMScouting.com on one of the finest defenders in Serie A so far this season, plying his trade at unfashionable Palermo.
The lowdown from IMScouting.com on one of the finest defenders in Serie A so far this season, plying his trade at unfashionable Palermo.
In retrospect, it is now fair to say that Palermo pulled off one of the coups of the summer transfer window prior to the 2008/2009 season. The Serie A side paid just 3.9 million euros to FC Midtjylland Herning for defender Simon Kjaer and they could now be in line for a major windfall at the end of this campaign.
The 19-year-old central defender has played just 18 games in Serie A but has impressed with some assured performances belying his tender years and a number of big clubs are now reportedly interested.
First to be linked were AC Milan who could be a very likely destination for the blonde defender. The Rossoneri are in the midst of rebuilding their backline and it is no exaggeration to say that Kjaer could be the player to replace Paolo Maldini in the heart of the Milan defence.
Kjaer is the captain of the Danish Under-21 side and has great leadership skills for a player who has not even played that many games at the highest level. Prior to joining Palermo, Kjaer had played just 18 games in his home country.
Scouts in Italy describe the 6.2ft defender as athletically gifted, tall, very strong and well built. He possesses great aerial ability and heading. He can be a top level central defender, but still needs to improve his pace and technical ability.
Thanks to some fine displays, Kjaer was called up to the full national squad of Denmark in February although he is yet to make a full international appearance. When he does finally make the step up it will be no surprise if Kjaer bags some crucial goals for his country.
So far Kjaer has scored two goals in his time at Palermo, creating a niche for himself as a goal scoring centre back. His most recent goal in the 5-2 win over Lecce on Sunday was a very fine piece of finishing – a terrific lob from a tight angle that displayed the technical qualities of this up-and-coming defender.
Since he is contracted to Palermo until 2012/2013 it is likely that Kjaer could be sold for around 11 million euros, which is the release clause in his contract. If he is does leave this summer, Palermo will make a tidy profit and there will also be a nice fee for his agent – ex-Middlesbrough striker Mikkel Beck.
Click here for the IMScouting website.
(Many more players to watch from around the globe can be seen on the IMScouting website. The IMScouting database is used by some of the biggest clubs in the world to find new talent, including Borussia Dortmund, Panathinaikos and Lille.)