Scout Report: Jan Carlos Hurtado- 19-year-old Venezuelan starlet linked with Newcastle United
According to claims from a French news outlet Foot Sur 7, Newcastle United are interested in signing 19-year-old Venezuelan starlet Jan Carlos Hurtado in the summer.
The same report adds that the Magpies would need to fend off interest from Ligue 1 outfit Marseille and Serie A high-flyers Atalanta if they are to get their hands on the promising youngster, who currently plies his trade with Gimnasia y Esgrima in the Argentinian top-flight.
Hurtado has earned rave reviews for his performances in the Argentine Primera Division, despite netting just twice from 17 appearances.
Former Brazilian midfielder Ronaldinho showered praises on the 19-year-old Venezuelan starlet in the wake of his wonderful display against Newell’s Old Boys recently, as reported by Deportes.
As the youngster continues to carve out a reputation for himself in the Argentinian top division, let us get a deeper insight into one of emerging stars of South American football- Venezuela’s Jan Carlos Hurtado.
Background
Born in the city of El Canton in Venezuela, Hurtado rose through the youth ranks at his hometown club Deportivo Tachira and honed his skills as a street footballer playing Futsal. Hurtado made 17 appearances for Deportivo Tachira in 2016 and 2017 before his talent was spotted by Argentinian club Gimnasia.
The 19-year-old travelled across the continent to join Gimnasia last summer and has made eyeballs turn in his debut season.
A regular for Venezuela at all youth levels, Hurtado accumulated 12 caps for his nation at U17 and U20 levels comprised and was a part of the Venezuela U20 side that participated at the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup.
Hurtado was called up to the senior international team earlier this year in March and made his debut as a late substitute in a 3-1 victory over Argentina.
Style of Play
Standing at 6ft with a well-built frame, Jan Carlos Hurtado is noted for his perfect blend of pace and physicality.
While he is more than capable of taking defenders out of the equation with his brute force and superior upper body strength, Hurtado also combines his lightning pace with his mesmerizing dribbling skills to embark on swashbuckling runs through the opposition’s defence.
The 19-year-old has the ability to operate as the focal point of the attack, though he has also been used as a wide forward down the right. The youngster is adept at changing directions quickly with the ball at his feet and often changes gears in the blink of an eye to leave the defenders for dead.
Aerial ability is another of his key attributes. Hurtado is quite fast and agile for a striker of his stature and he uses his physicality and instincts to lose his marker inside the box, often timing his jump to perfection to get his head to crosses and deliveries from set-pieces.
A player noted for his high levels of energy, aggressive and direct approach to the game and decent technical abilities, Hurtado has also worked a lot on his movement in and around the penalty area, though his goalscoring record does not necessarily do justice to his talent.
The Venezuelan does get carried away at times and scuffs his shots in promising situations but that is very normal at the age of 19.
What does the future hold?
Hurtado has shown strong signs of promise very early in his career and he certainly has the raw attributes to make a name for himself in the Premier League.
Pace, power, dribbling, physicality and aerial ability-he has got it all in his armoury, but he still needs to work on the technical and tactical aspects of his game if he is to play in a top European league.
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If Newcastle do manage to get their hands on the player, they should look at him as a long-term investment and someone in the mould of Ayoze Perez, who also arrived at Tyneside as an unknown entity from Spanish second-tier side Tenerife back in 2014 and has gone on to establish himself as a top player at St.James’ park.
