Zakaria Bakkali

Date of Birth	Nationality	Current Club	Position	Strengths		Weaknesses	Transfer Rumours	Market Value (where applicable)	Similar Players
				Physical	Technical
26/1/1996	Belgium/ Morocco	PSV	Winger/Forward	Pace	Shooting, Ball Control, Movement	Aerial	-	-	Eden Hazard

Zakaria Bakkali is a 17-year-old Morrocan born player who plays in the Belgian youth set up. Bakkali is currently at PSV having moved there from Standard Liege in 2008. At the age of 15 he was being linked with a move to Manchester City following his MVP performance for PSV at the Nike Cup held by Manchester United. A really talented player, Bakkali can play on either wing or upfront as a striker. While at Standard Liege as a young boy PSV saw great potential in him and immediately snapped him up. Bakkali has been described as ‘small and skilful’ by many people. Although this only gives you a little bit of information about him, it is a great introduction into the extremely talented player he is. The 2013/2014 season is going to be key for him and his development as a player. He was recently promoted to the senior team from PSV’s u-19s. He made his debut against Zulte Waregem on the 30^th of July in the Champions League qualification round. He was extremely lively during the match and had a few opportunities to score. He troubled the defenders a lot with his pace, movement and skill on the ball. On the 3^rd of August he made his Eredivisie debut for PSV in a 3-2 victory over ADO Den Haag. Again he was very lively and was one of PSV’s best performers before being substituted. His next appearance would be a landmark one. On 7^th August, he started the second leg of their Champions League qualifier against Zulte Waregem. He scored the second goal for PSV with a very cool and composed volley. This marked his first goal for the club at the age of 17.

Bakkali plays on the wing for PSV however he has also played as a striker. He is very adept and can play with both feet. He is very troublesome for defenders, as he likes taking them on and beating them with his great close control and burst of pace. Although he is not completely matured as a player, you can see the talent he possesses. He is always up for a challenge and is very determined. A player who gets fouled a lot, however you will never see his back to the ground. He immediately gets back up on his feet and is ready to go. Although he is very short, he is extremely hard to tackle. Due to the skill and pace he possesses, he can beat defenders with ease leaving them dumbfounded. Another great skill Bakkali has is his ability to shoot from distance. He has a very powerful shot and can score with long distance shots. This makes him an even bigger threat in front of goal. Combining this with his ability to take on defenders makes it very hard for the defenders when marking him. From the wing he can either move more central and take a shot from distance, or run past defenders on the wing and provide a pass to a teammate running into the box. His goal against Zulte showed his great awareness and positioning, as well as the great strike that he possesses.

I have likened him to Eden Hazard as he shows similar traits to his fellow Belgian. Both players are very short, quick and very threatening on the wing as well as boasting a great shot from outside the box. However, it is unfair on both players to make the comparison, as I believe that Bakkali has a great potential and could possibly feature in the ‘Similar Players’ column. However, right now, being only 17 it was only fitting that I compare him to another fantastic Belgian. Bakkali has broken into the PSV first team very early and it will be a pleasure to watch him play this year. In regards to his future, he can go places. He is very talented and very committed, it will only be a matter of time before PSV start demanding a hefty fee for his signature.