New Leeds United signing compared to Inter Milan defender as expert's 'skill and speed' verdict revealed
The YEP speaks to a Swiss football expert and scouting consultant about imminent Leeds United signing Isaac Schmidt from FC St. Gallen.
Leeds are on the verge of adding former Swiss youth international Schmidt as they seek to supplement Daniel Farke's full-back options. The player scored yesterday evening in FCSG's UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier with Trabzonspor, featuring for 60 minutes before being substituted in what looks to be his final appearance for the Swiss Super League side.
The YEP sat down with FC Biel-Bienne sporting director Oliver Zesiger, who previously worked at one of Schmidt's previous clubs Lausanne, to discuss what type of player Leeds are getting on transfer deadline day.
YEP: Oliver, thanks for your time. Can you tell us a bit more about St Gallen defender Isaac Schmidt - what is his background?
OZ: Schmidt was born to a Nigerian mother and a Swiss father in Lausanne. He joined the local Lausanne team Concordia at the age of 8 before moving to the better-known Lausanne-Sport FC at the age of 11. Throughout his youth career he actually played as a winger, due to his speed and skill level. I worked for Lausanne when he came into the first team and I remember him playing as a wing-back in some preseason games. But he only made the full transition to a wing-back at St. Gallen. It was surprising to see him mostly playing as a left wing-back, though, as Schmidt is predominantly right-footed.
YEP: Schmidt has only played in Swiss football, do you think he has the ability to adapt to the English Championship?
OZ: The Championship is one of the toughest leagues in football. Even though I'm positive that his athleticism will help him cope with the additional workload, I can't fully predict how a player will be able to handle 46 league games and two cups.
YEP: How would you describe Schmidt's style of play? What are his strengths and weaknesses?
OZ: Schmidt is a modern, attacking full-or-wing-back. As mentioned above, he's athletic and has speed. He likes to drive the ball forward. Due to him mostly playing on the "wrong" side, he prefers to cut inside around the box rather than search the touchline and cross. While he's improved his defensive behavior, he's still prone to ball watching from time to time. This leads to him losing his man, often in his back. But the positives far outweigh the negatives. He's dynamic, has dribbling skills and some unpredictability, which makes him hard to defend. He can be especially dangerous when he's at the end of a one-two and he finds himself in the space behind the defence.
YEP: Can he play at left-back and right-back or is he primarily one-sided?
OZ: He can fill in both roles. In the previous seasons at St. Gallen, he mostly played on the left side. This season, however, he almost exclusively plays on the right side. He has played in central midfield for a handful of games as well, mostly due to injury worries at FCSG.
YEP: We understand he will arrive to provide competition for places, instead of slotting straight into the starting line-up - do you think that's something he would be prepared to do?
OZ: After three full seasons at FC St. Gallen, he seems ready for a new challenge. He improved a lot there, but now is the right time for a change. I think that with, potentially, 50+ games on the horizon, he will get enough playing time to satisfy his demands. And his aforementioned versatility improves his chances of playing. He's a smart player and will have thought about this as well. I'm not worried about his role, especially at the beginning of his stint at Leeds.
YEP: Junior Firpo's contract expires next summer - could you see Schmidt operating for a year as Firpo's understudy?
OZ: If Leeds aren't keen on renewing Firpo, that's the route I'd take. Let him learn from Firpo and give him the chance to prove himself. If he does well, then he could make it harder for Leeds to decide whether to extend Firpo or to let him leave on a free transfer. If Schmidt needs more time there could be other solutions on the horizon.
YEP: If you had to compare Schmidt's style with that of a more mainstream defender that English football fans might know, who would you say he is like?
OZ: There aren't many wrong-footed wing-backs that come to mind immediately. So I'm going with someone whose skillset is similar: Internazionale's Tajon Buchanan. Both are vertical players with dribbling skills and speed. And both can play on both sides of the pitch.