Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterEzechiel Banzuzi is one of a group of exciting young Dutch midfielders breaking through in top-level European football.With Kees Smit, Isaac Babadi and Tygo Land getting game time in the Netherlands and Belgium, Banzuzi has made the move to RB Leipzig to develop further, becoming a regular this season in Ole Werner's young side.But who is he, and is there a future for the midfielder similar to that of former Red Bull graduates Dominik Szoboszlai and Xavi Simons? Here's your handy scout report.You may likeWho exactly is Mikel Jauregizar? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout reportWho exactly is Mbekezeli Mbokazi? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout reportWho exactly is Ife Ibrahim? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout reportSo who exactly is Ezechiel Banzuzi?PROFILEName: Ezechiel BanzuziPosition/s: Defensive midfield, central midfield, attacking midfieldAge: 21 (Born: February 16, 2005)Nationality: DutchHeight: 1.91m (6ft 3in)Preferred Foot: RightCurrent Club: RB LeipzigComing through the NAC Breda academy, Banzuzi didn't spend time at any of the Eredivisie's big three as a youngster and actually left the Netherlands entirely in 2023, signing for OH Leuven in Belgium and playing under Chris Coleman in the second half of last season. A move to Leipzig last summer certainly suggests that he was going to replace Xavi Simons, but since moving to the Bundesliga, comparisons with Ryan Gravenberch have been far more common.A physically imposing central midfielder with power, but with the touch of a playmaker, Banzuzi a similar profile to club-mate Assan Ouedraogo: both youngsters exactly the same height, and with similar dribbling styles. Banzuzi has played as a no.6, no.8 and no.10, with each role utilising different areas of his skillset.Banzuzi's strengthsPhysicality, frame and intensity: It's not just that Ezechiel Banzuzi is 6ft 3in: he knows how to use his incredible physique. He dominates the centre of the pitch, can use his long legs to recover possession with ease and he has had no problem adapting to the physical demands of the Bundesliga already.Ball-carrying: With such long strides comes Banzuzi's brilliance in bringing the ball forward. He is an excellent dribbler: he isn't pacy or explosive, as such, but excels in progressing the ball centrally.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Aerial ability: Banzuzi is already one of the best midfielders in Europe in the air. His aerial duel success rate is good, making him useful in set-pieces, too both attacking and defending.Box-crashing: Though not a natural finisher, the Dutchman has a superb sense of timing and knows exactly when to get into the box for a cut-back. This threat makes him a shoo-in for a box-to-box role, despite how capable he is in defensive midfield.Close control: For a big man, he's got good touch. Banzuzi has great close control in tight spaces, with his background as an attacker having honed his deftness.You may likeWho exactly is Mbekezeli Mbokazi? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout reportWho exactly is Ife Ibrahim? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout reportWho exactly is Sota Kitano? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout reportEzechiel Banzuzi Welcome to RB Leipzig Skills, Tackles & Passes - YouTubeWatch On Banzuzi's areas of developmentDecision-making: Banzuzi has played as a no.10, but more as a powerhouse used to bludgeon the opposition, rather than unpick them. He's often guilty of overplaying in the final third, though you can blame that on a lack of exposure at the highest level something he's getting now at Leipzig. He's only contributed a single assist in the league this season, too something you can level at a lack of playing time.Defensive discipline: Five yellow cards in all competitions doesn't seem particularly catastrophic but in under 600 minutes played, it's clear Banzuzi is over-committing in challenges. His positional sense is improving, and controlling his physical power will come in time, too.Press-resistance: Banzuzi has good control and can weave his way out of pressure, but he struggles to switch direction quickly or take the ball on the half-turn, in the face of a counter-press. His awareness of the game around him is still developing.Banzuzi's ceilingMORE REPORTSMIDFIELDERS Rodrigo Mendoza, Richard Rios, Mikel JauregizarRB Leipzig are still very much refining Ezechiel Banzuzi as a player but the signs are good so far. Such an impressive physical profile shouldn't have a problem adapting to the Premier League, should a move ever materialise the same can't be said for a few other big-name Bundesliga buys though the 21-year-old needs regular game time in German football first.TOPICSBenficaMark WhiteSocial Links NavigationContent EditorMark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robsons time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.
