Outside The Top Five: Franculino Djú - Scout Report
Showcasing quality players outside Europe's 'top five' leagues.
In this series ‘Outside The Top Five’, I plan to showcase some of my favourite players outside the T5 leagues in Europe. I know by now we’re all aware that certain countries are hotbeds of talent but hopefully, as this series goes on it might draw your attention you players that had previously escaped your notice for one reason or another.
To kick off this series, we are heading to Denmark, FC Midtjylland specifically. We are going to look at a player who, in my opinion, has flown under the radar a little this season.
Franculino Djú - FC Midtjylland
Franculino Djú is a 19-year-old left-footed forward currently enjoying a breakout season at FC Midtjylland. The Guinea-Bissau international joined the three-time Danish Champions from Benfica in the summer of 2023 for an approximate €1 million fee. Djú typically lines up as a striker of FC Midtjylland’s 4-4-2 system, with Cho Gue-Sung being his primary striker partner. He typically likes to operate within the half-spaces which allows him to act as a link between the midfield and attacking thirds.
Player profile:
Positions: Forward/Winger
Nationality: Guinea-Bissau
Date of Birth: 28/06/2004 (19 Years Old)
Current Club: FC Midtjylland
Preferred Foot: Left
Height: 182cm
Physical profile
Djú stands at 182 cm tall with a very strong, athletic frame which he uses throughout games to optimise his ability to hold up the ball and retain possession. He has a wonderful burst of acceleration that he can sustain over mid-long ranges proving to be beneficial when FCM are looking to counterattack from within their own half. He is not very agile which does mean he very often has to slow down a little to change direction, allowing the opposition to track him. Furthermore, he has a decent jumping reach enabling him to win aerial duels however some of his jumps can be mistimed which leads to him missing the ball.
Defensive phase
Out of possession, FC Midtjylland typically fall into a 4-4-2 mid-low block, however, most of Djú’s appearances have come from the subs bench this season and his speed and athleticism generally see the game become more transitional.
As we can see here, Djú will often be the one to step in and initiate a press when the opposition is looking to build an attack. Firstly, his speed and strength enable him to apply intense pressure on the opposition's midfielders or defenders quickly and effectively. By initiating a press this efficiently, it can disrupt the opponent's build-up play, forcing hurried passes or poor decisions leading to turnovers in possession.
In this instance, he pressures the ball carrier aggressively, limiting the opponent's time on the ball, thereby reducing their ability to make composed decisions or execute a precise pass. This increased pressure leads to Djú forcing a turnover and allowing FCM to initiate a counterattack.
Additionally, Djú does well in defensive duels, he uses his strength and body orientation to close down opponents and close off the passing lanes. Consequently, he averages 3.8 defensive duels per 90 with a 55% success rating and 3.32 recoveries per 90 this season.
Attacking phase
The 19-year-old’s speed is a key factor in his role in the attacking phase of play for FC Midtjylland. Firstly, Djú’s ability to make runs in behind the opposition’s defensive line puts pressure on their defence, forcing them to defend deeper to cover the space behind them. This can disrupt the opponent's defensive shape and compactness, making it more challenging for them to maintain a solid defensive block. Consequently, it creates more space in midfield areas for FCM to exploit.
Here, FCM are building an attack and their opponents are slow to get back into their defensive structure which allows Djú to make a run in behind and his teammate has the potential to find him via a lofted pass.
On this occasion, Djú utilises his speed and makes a run in behind the opposition’s defensive line. He latches on to a flick-on from Cho Gue-Sung and executes a delightful lob over the goalkeeper.
The former Benfica man’s decision-making in front of goal could do with some work for example there are occasions when he finds himself in optimal goalscoring positions where he uses too much power and his shots blaze over the bar when a placed shot beyond the ‘keeper would be more beneficial.
Moreover, FCM’s tactics rely on the forwards dropping deeper to link up the play, facilitating space opening for runners from midfield. As we can see here, by dropping into the midfield area, Djú can receive the ball from defenders or midfielders, turn and effectively become a pivot point for distributing play. This dynamic movement opens up passing lanes, allowing for quicker transitions from defence to attack.
This can create a numerical superiority in midfield creating an overload in the centre of the pitch. This overload often grants the FCM greater control over possession in the attacking third and facilitates intricate passing sequences. Furthermore, this off-the-ball movement from Djú forces defenders to make decisions, such as whether to track him and risk becoming more stretched and gaps opening up or to maintain their defensive shape.
The 19-year-old is also very confident with the ball at his feet, executing 5.13 dribbles per 90 and 1.68 progressive runs per 90. However, these prove to be most beneficial in transitions as when in tight spaces in the attacking third, the young forward can struggle and often runs straight into his opponent rather than changing direction.
Transitions
As mentioned previously, FCM are not a team that always looks to press, they are strategic with it and like to catch the opponents off guard when they engage in a counterpress. Here, we can see Djú in the defensive transition, leading the counterpress. He reacts to his team losing the ball and closes down the opponent quickly, using his body orientation and quick movements forcing the opposition defender into a difficult situation.
Meanwhile, in the attacking transition, Djú’s dribbling ability is finally allowed to shine. When he has open space ahead, he is most effective. Here, he receives the ball inside the FCM half and transitions the team from defence to attack within a matter of seconds. This is incredibly useful to FCM, especially when they are struggling to break down a compact defensive structure, they can utilise the 19-year-old starlet’s speed and ball-carrying prowess to create optimal counterattacking situations.
Character
A lot of Franculino Djú’s work can go unnoticed, but he always puts in a shift the team and showcases a strong work ethic throughout his performances. His decision-making in the final third isn’t always reliable but this is something that can be worked on as he is still developing.
Defensively, he is tenacious with a desire to win the ball back for his team while in the attacking phase, he looks to make things happen and if his short intricate passes to link up the play don’t always work, he doesn’t give up showing some important resilience. There are occasions when he is a little slow to get back in the defensive shape allowing the opponent more time on the ball than his teammates would probably appreciate but overall Djú looks to have a solid personality with no red flags that should worry his team.
Conclusion
The 19-year-old is enjoying a breakout season and his value has already risen to €2.5m as a result. He certainly needs to develop and he is at a club that has a wonderful track record of developing young players.
The future looks bright for Franculino Djú, should he continue on the right trajectory in a couple of seasons, he will most likely attract some interest from clubs outside of Denmark. It’s difficult to say which club(s) could be a possible destination for him as the focus should be on his development right now. One to watch out for in the future, for sure.