Kjell Wätjen (CM, 19, Germany)
Another talent potentially worthy of that step up next season. Wätjen has appeared for the first team and, to be honest, impressed majorly. Yet, he can't seem to find the opportunities to break through, and while he has seen his struggles in the U19s and U23s this year, he is still a German U19 international and holds the capabilities previewed in the past. With a midfield rebuild being a desperate need for this dire squad, let's have a look at what Kjell Wätjen could provide if given trust by Niko Kovač or anyone else who may be in charge.
An extremely versatile, talented, and intelligent midfielder, Wätjen is just waiting for that coach to mold him into the player he is meant to be because it could be a 6, 8, or 10. His intelligence is great, as he constantly seeks the correct positioning, both offensively and defensively. He has true playmaking vision, and his passing matches show variety in height and speed, with a common goal of hitting the space or the receiver's back foot to impose a positive approach on the receiver.
His decision-making is good, seemingly encouraging progression in much of his play, including his sharp and neat link-up in tight spaces to break pressure. Even in his carrying, he loves to exploit large spaces and beat any pressure, as lots of his carrying is long strides and heavy touches to suck in defenders before utilizing his quick release to bypass them and develop attacks. Standing at 6'0 (1,82m) and around 72ish KG (158 lbs), he is not a physical problem. He doesn't thrive on this side of his game, remarkably, even though he is solid enough in tackles and has a nice leg-first approach.
In terms of what may hinder him, he phases out of games commonly if the team is under pressure. He doesn't have the off-ball presence to have lots of influence out of possession, especially in strong midfield battles. Master the positional side of defending while adding some tenacity and power, and this will prove no issue. The weighting of his passes can also be an issue at times. Overall, don't think Sabitzer or Groß give much else than he could next season. Give him the pre-season, maybe even consider a loan to adjust to first-team football physically.