Kaan Ayhan
While the majority of players Turkey seems to be producing are of an attacking variety, Kaan Ayhan bucks that trend as he’s primarily a centre-back, but can also feature across the defence and even in defensive midfield. Ayhan was handed his biggest task so far when facing Chelsea in the Champions League, and stepped up well when called upon in a surprise 1-1 draw.
Ayhan is particularly good at reading the game, and stepping to out of defence to slow down opponent counter attacks and putting in a firm tackle. In the air too, he is adept, and can also shine with the ball at his feet. At just 20-years-old however there are still the lapses in concentration, and ability to get pulled out of position, but so far it has been mostly positive for the Schalke 04 man.
