FC Schalke 04 have a slew of potential world class talent in their midfield, and there’s data suggesting Suat Serdar may be the best of the bunch.
If you asked me which player on FC Schalke 04 has the best chance at challenging superstar forwards Robert Lewandowski and Timo Werner as the best player in the Bundesliga this season, then I would say “Amine Harit” with zero hesitation.
But while Harit has been beyond brilliant this season with his timely goals, eye for the killer pass, and insane dribbling skills, the hard-working Morocco international hasn’t been the highest-rated Royal Blue on the team in WhoScored.com ratings.
In fact, WhoScored recently released their mid-season review of the Bundesliga, and center midfielder Suat Serdar was the lone Schalke star to make the Team of the Season. Now, there are others beyond Harit, such as rising star Ozan Kabak and defensive midfielder Omar Mascarell, with strong cases to join Serdar. Even Benito Raman should get a shout with seven goal contributions in the last seven games.
However, it’s time to give Serdar his due, since it’s easy to overlook his all-around brilliance in the middle of the park.
Serdar has been arguably the biggest breakout star in the Bundesliga this season, as he’s stepped his game up to a level where the German national team has taken notice. Capable of stifling the opposition with fierce tackles, dribbling past them with smooth finesse, or finding the back of the net with the finishing of a forward, Serdar has no glaring weaknesses to his game.
So it’s unsurprising that he is the highest-rated center midfielder in WhoScored.com’s ratings for the Bundesliga with only four players – all strikers or wingers – rated higher than him.
Serdar is averaging an astounding 3.3 tackles per game to go with his six goals in 13 starts, and he’s also completing 2.7 dribbles per game with 1.7 fouls drawn per game. That type of all-around production is simply ridiculous, but it goes to show you how profound the 22-year-old’s impact is in all phases of the game.