David Bates scout report – The next big thing in the Premier League?

According to Leicestershire Live, Scotland U21 international David Bates is on the radar of some Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Southampton, Leicester City, Watford and Everton.

The 22-year-old has caught the eye with some impressive performances at the back for German outfit Hamburger SV in Bundesliga 2.

As the Premier League clubs eye a swoop for the Scottish ace, let us get a deeper insight into one of the most promising young talents in Bundesliga 2- Hamburger’s David Bates.

Background

David Bates was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland and started his career with his hometown club Raith Rovers. Although he was included in the matchday squads for Raith Rovers in the 2013-14 season at the age of 17, he remained an unused substitute for large quarters of the season and had to wait till 2015 to earn his first appearance in the Scottish Championship.

Instead, he was loaned out to Scottish League Two side East Stirlingshire where he made 17 appearances on the 2014/15 season. He also had a loan stint with League One side Brechin City before moving on loan to Rangers in 2016.

After impressing on his loan stint at the Ibrox, he was signed permanently by the Scottish giants. The 22-year-old made 20 appearances across all competitions in the 2017-18 season but refused to sign an extension and moved to the Bundesliga 2 with Hamburger SV.

And he has already earned rave reviews for his performances in the second tier of German football.

Style of Play

Standing at 6ft 4 inches with a sinewy frame, 22-year-old David Bates is a ball-playing centre-back who likes to impose himself on the opposition with his physicality and aerial ability. Bates averages a whopping 4.5 successful aerial duels per game this season and his towering presence is always an asset to the team while defending set-pieces.

Blessed with a good technique for a centre-back, Bates looks calm and comfortable in possession and likes to build the play from the back with short passes. In fact, he averages 68.9 passes per game with a success percentage of 83.1 this term in Bundesliga 2, something that would make even a central midfielder proud.

He is quite composed for his years and does not tend to dive into challenges. The 22-year-old has decent positional sense and averages 1.5 tackles and an equal number of interceptions per game. A no-nonsense defender, Bates likes to clear his lines and averages 5.5 clearances per game.

What does the future hold?

In seven appearances in the Bundesliga 2, Bates helped his team keep five team clean sheets but Hamburger conceded as many as nine goals from the two games where they left him out.

These facts are enough to emphasize the impact that he has on the backline this season. With clubs like Leicester City, Arsenal, Everton and Southampton circling like sharks, a move to the Premier League is definitely on the cards for the youngster.

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Going by the quality that he has shown so far, he is certainly a player to watch out for in the coming days and a move to England might help him develop his game a lot faster.