Who is Kevin Schade: Freiburg’s speedster could provide big upside for Brentord

Soon a record deal 

Brentford have been rewarded for remaining obstinate in their pursuit of signing forward Kevin Schade from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg. The Premier League club already targeted the forward last summer and offered €20 million plus add-ons and a percentage of any future transfer. Freiburg, however, rejected a deal at the time. That has now changed as Schade is now on his way to the Bees. 

According to a report by Sky Germany, the 21-year-old is already in London to complete his medical check. The deal is expected to be an initial loan with an obligation to buy for €25m. The transfer would make the German U21 national team player the most expensive outgoing transfer in Freiburg’s club history. That record is currently held by Caglar Söyüncü, who generated €21.1m when he joined Leicester in the 2018/19 season. 

The Times reported on Tuesday that Brentford are optimistic to make Schade the first transfer of the winter window. The right-winger has a current market value of €12m and joined Freiburg’s academy in 2018. Schade has played 36 games for the first team across all competitions (six goals and four assists). The forward missed the start of the season with an abdominal strain and then only played sporadically upon his return. 

Schade to Brentford – Despite limited minutes a major talent 

The fact that Schade has played just 12 games (295 minutes) across all competitions (1 goal and 2 assists) for Freiburg does not take away from the fact that Schade is considered a significant talent in Germany. Born in Potsdam, the striker is not just capable of playing all three positions up front but is also one of the fastest players in the German first division with a clocked top speed of 34.6 km/h (via Bundesliga.com). 

At Brentford, Schade is expected to challenge Bryan Mbeumo, who, like the German, predominantly plays on the right flank, for playing time. The German is also expected to become an upgrade over struggling Spanish winger Sergi Canós. Comparing the three players over the last calendar year—the time frame was used to account for Schade’s injury—on Wyscout reveals why Brentford is after the player. 

Schade not only completed the most dribbles during that period (51.67%) but also had the most dribble attempts, 7.17 per 90. In comparison, Mbeumo managed to complete 46.31% of his 3.91 dribbles per 90, and Canos managed to complete just 40.54% of his 3.56 dribbles per 90. Schade has also managed the most touches in the box in that period (3.82), ahead of Mbeumo (3.22) and Canós (1.35). With all that in mind, Schade could not only be an upgrade for Brentford but also brings a skillset that could quickly lead to an increased market value and substantial transfer fee.  

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