Mussa Kaba (DM, 16, Germany)
I am a huge Mussa Kaba fan. A constant in the BVB U19s and Germany U17s, Kaba is a 6'4'' (1.93m), defensive-minded midfielder who is a physical and dominant presence in the middle. He is a true athlete who has freakish amounts of power in his game for a 16-year-old.
Kaba is strong in duels. He naturally thrives aerially with his height and athleticism; however, he is strong in ground duels too with his dominating lower-body presence, including his trademark stretched tackle that allows him to be a force in tight-angle challenges and loose balls. Kaba can cover ground well, and his long stride running makes him great for defending large spaces as he closes angles space impressively, even with his arms whenever called upon.
He is fabulous at retaining possession, masterfully using his stature to shield the space, and even having good close control to navigate tight areas. Kaba can explode out of pressure superbly, too. He is pretty restrictive in progressive play, which is an issue, but confidence and coaching will fix it, as the potential in both carrying and passing is clear to see. He needs to be tested often in first-team training and camps, then judge his future pathway based on his suitability in them. A loan could be huge for him if done right.