A long scouting report has emerged that analyzes what kind of player Yang Min-hyuk, an 18-year-old prospect who joined Tottenham Hotspur, is.
Matt Hayes, who works for soccer statistics media “Transfermarkt” and “Opta” and also appears on Tottenham fan channel “Last Word on Spurs,” wrote a long analysis of Yang Min-hyuk on his social network service (SNS) X (formerly Twitter) on the 29th (Korea Standard Time).
Yang officially became a Tottenham player on Wednesday. Tottenham announced on its official website that it recruited Yang from Gangwon FC. Yang will join Tottenham in the winter after the K-League season ends. This is the period of the winter transfer market in the European soccer season.
Yang Min-hyuk, who is currently Korea’s top prospect and is speeding at a tremendous pace with eight goals and four assists in 25 games in K League 1, is a familiar player to Korean fans, but is unfamiliar to foreign fans. Tottenham fans know that Yang Min-hyuk is considered the best prospect in the country of Son Heung-min, Tottenham’s captain.
Hayes wrote a lengthy analysis for fans who will meet Yang Min-hyuk starting next year. Hayes basically explained what kind of player Yang Min-hyuk is and analyzed Yang Min-hyuk’s playing style and tactical values, focusing on games against Jeonbuk Hyundai, Pohang Steelers, and Suwon FC, which he played after the news broke that he was about to join Tottenham.
In conclusion, Yang Min-hyuk, who Hayes sees, was a player with strengths that Tottenham wingers do not currently have. Hayes concluded that Yang Min-hyuk has tremendous potential and is a player who matches the style of soccer pursued by Tottenham’s head coach, Anji Postecoglou.
“Yang Min-hyuk, who had no experience in first-team games before this season, started all 25 games played by Gangwon in K League 1 in the 2024 season,” Hayes said. “Yang Min-hyuk, who debuted in a match against Jeju United in March, was recorded as the youngest player in Gangwon’s history. Yang Min-hyuk’s shot was deflected in his debut game and headed to his teammate Lee Sang-hun, and Lee Sang-hun scored a goal to score an assist 35 seconds into the game,” he said, referring to Yang Min-hyuk’s debut game.
“Only eight days later, Yang scored in the first minute of the first half, becoming the third youngest scorer in K-League 1 history and the second semi-professional scorer in K-League 1 history at the age of 17 years and 10 months. Yang, who has scored eight goals and four assists so far, is showing his high scoring contribution, which is tied for fifth place in this season by accumulating 12 offensive points,” he said.
Yang Min-hyuk was dubbed the “second Son Heung-min” in anticipation of becoming a winger representing South Korea after Son Heung-min, but Hayes believed that there was no similarity between Son Heung-min and Yang Min-hyuk’s style of play except for high-speed dribbles and shots using both feet.
Hayes explained, “The two players are active in different positions on the field, and they are creative in different styles. If Son prefers to play rushing to the space in front, Yang is good at playing in the narrow space in the center. Of course, Yang can play against a more spacious opponent like he did against Suwon FC, which won 3-1 in June.”
From Hayes’ perspective, Yang Min-hyuk was a modern winger. He said, “Yang Min-hyuk is a modern style winger. He played left and right, but spent more time in the center of the stadium. Yang prefers to receive the ball right away, but it is impressive that he moves to receive the ball behind the opponent’s fullback with explosive speed and penetration that he tries at the right time.”
Hayes also said, “One of his impressive abilities is dribbling. Yang can pull the entire team up by beating the opponent with his radius of rotation and fast feet. He takes the ball with his back to the player in a small space, and advances the team through several touches and movements. Yang’s trade moves are to grab a defender with his left arm, touch the ball outside his right foot, and hit it at high speed, which created problems for various teams.”
What Hayes thinks about Yang Min-hyuk’s weakness was his incomplete physical condition. However, Yang was evaluated as knowing how to use his body well, unlike players who have dwarf physical conditions.
Hayes said, “Yang’s attack success rate is affected by his small physique and poor upper body strength. When a defender catches up with Yang’s speed or takes the lead in direction, Yang often gives the ball away. Yang often passes while falling, but his physical strength needs to be supplemented.” He also praised Yang, saying, “Unlike Brian Hill, Yang utilizes his physical condition better and is not as easily pushed as he does.”
One of the biggest strengths of Yang was finishing the game. Yang, who scored eight goals this season, is good at touching balls and using both feet in an easy way to shoot, in addition to his outstanding decision-making ability.
Hayes also said, “Yang’s score this season proves his diverse finishing skills. In the match against Gwangju FC in March, he received the ball and kicked it with a pap post from outside the box. In the match against Jeju Island, he aimed for the corner of the net with his perfect volley shot. Yang is a player who knows how to find the net.”
“After the news came out that Yang Min-hyuk would transfer to Tottenham, the first game was against Jeonbuk. Tottenham fans’ attention was focused on Yang Min-hyuk’s performance, and he shot a rocket-like shot from the corner of the box to give the team the lead in the first half. In the 10th minute of the second half, he helped Kim Kyung-min score and recorded his fourth assist of the season,” he said, referring to his score against Jeonbuk.
However, Hayes pointed out, “Yang Min-hyuk often has difficulty getting involved in the game,” adding, “Yang Min-hyuk failed to exert the same influence as before in the game where he changed his position from right to left.”
“However, when Yang Min-hyuk can be more involved in the game, Gangwon becomes a dangerous team and creates an edge through Yang Min-hyuk’s creativity and various contributions,” he said, explaining that the team’s atmosphere may change depending on Yang Min-hyuk’s contribution to the game. 메이저놀이터
Hayes also stressed that Gangwon has been showing impressive team-level pressure under coach Yoon Jung-hwan this season, and Yang Min-hyuk plays a very important role in the pressure sequence. Hayes said that Yang Min-hyuk’s pressure is consistent, so he needs to improve the efficiency of pressure, and that there are cases where he is easily pushed by his opponent and cannot match the timing of his tackle.
Hayes also said Yang still lacks confidence and has already scored 12 attack points, but he would have posted more if he could have made a decision more firmly than now. He added that his moves in the penalty box are still regrettable.
The conclusion was positive.
Hayes said, “I think Tottenham’s scout team has seen Yang Min-hyuk’s potential and has a coaching team that can boost Yang Min-hyuk’s performance. Yang Min-hyuk has only played 25 games on the professional stage and has a lot of things to learn,” adding, “Expectations for Yang Min-hyuk should be reduced a little bit. It does not reach the level of Archie Gray or Lucas Beribal, and the fact that Yang Min-hyuk is re-leased to Gangwon shows that Tottenham thinks this way.”
Finally, he concluded, “A young 18-year-old player still has a lot of work to do if he wants to play as a main player for Tottenham, but it is clear that it is a contract for the future. Yang Min-hyuk’s profile fits the ‘Angeball’, and Yang Min-hyuk is a player who has strengths that Tottenham’s wingers do not currently have.”
