Can Uzun, next off the Eintracht conveyor belt
Can Uzun is following in the footsteps of other Eintracht Frankfurt forwards who have gone on to big things in recent times.
No club in Europe has raked in more money selling forwards under the age of 25 in the last two years than Eintracht Frankfurt. Hugo Ekitike, Omar Marmoush and Randal Kolo Muani made the Bundesliga outfit a combined €260m and the next forward to generate a huge transfer fee is already coming along the production line.
Can Uzun has been a revelation for Frankfurt this season. The 19-year-old is one of the brightest attacking prospects anywhere in European football right now having registered six goals and three assists in just seven appearances and has the talent to reach the highest levels of the sport.
The start of the 2025/26 campaign could have been difficult for Eintracht Frankfurt, and in some ways it has been. Tuesday’s 5-1 defeat to Atlético Madrid continued the trend of Dino Toppmöller’s team conceding far too many goals. Indeed, Frankfurt have conceded four or more in each of their last four outings.
At the other end of the pitch, though, their fortunes have been better when many feared the worst. The Eagles lost Ekitike and Marmoush in back-to-back windows, robbing them of two players who combined for 44% of their goals tally in the Bundesliga last season. That percentage surely would have been higher had Marmoush not left in January.
Frankfurt were forced to rebuild their forward line. Jonathan Burkardt and Ritsu Doan were signed with the pair already first team figures, but Uzun has caught the eye more than anyone else, making a huge leap forward in his development after a challenging first season in the Bundesliga.
Uzun first made a name for himself at Nürnberg where he finished as the club’s top scorer in the 2. Bundesliga. The teenager was an attacking sensation in the German second tier, joining Frankfurt for a reported €15m in the summer of 2024. Uzun, however, had to be patient as opportunities were limited in his first season there.
With Ekitike and Marmoush ahead of him in the pecking order, Uzun played just 669 league minutes. Even still, the teenager showed glimpses of his potential, averaging a goal contribution every 134 minutes. His goals and assists to game ratio has been even more impressive since the summer.
While Ekitike and Marmoush were forwards who were most dangerous attacking open space at speed, Uzun offers more in possession. The Turkish international operates as a number 10, but with the freedom to drift and pick up pockets of space wherever he can. He is Frankfurt’s main man in the final third.
Not only is Uzun Eintracht Frankfurt’s top scorer this season, he is averaging the most shots on target per 90 minutes. Doan is the only player to have created more Big Chances than the 19-year-old, highlighting Uzun’s capacity as a creator, not just a goalscorer. He’s an all-round threat.
“I see myself as an instinctive footballer; I do whatever comes to mind on the pitch. Put simply, I have a good nose for a chance,” said Uzun when asked to describe his role in the Frankfurt team. “I prefer to play in the left half-space, as a number 10 or an eight, but if the coach puts me somewhere else, then of course I will fulfil those tasks.”
Some have compared Uzun to Jamal Musiala in the way he can do it all. Like the Bayern Munich attacking midfielder, he is just as comfortable dribbling past an opponent as he is picking a pass to a teammate or angling a shot at goal. Mario Götze is another player Uzun has been likened to.
There are similarities between Uzun and Kenan Yıldız, both of whom came through the youth ranks at 3.Liga side Jahn Regensburg. “Kenan is my best friend in the game and my best friend in general,” Uzun said about Yıldız, a player who also looks to have progressed as a number 10 with an eye for goal this season. The pair, along with Arda Güler, are at the vanguard of Türkiye’s next generation.
The way Uzun is developing at such a rapid rate, he might not be at Deutsche Bank Park for a long time. Liverpool are reportedly tracking the teenager with Bayern Munich also believed to be admirers. Eintracht Frankfurt could receive offers for their best young player as early as the January window.
For the time being, though, Uzun must continue to drive Frankfurt forward as they look to build on the success of last season’s third-place finish. Even by the club’s recent standard of producing top-level forwards, their latest talent off the conveyor belt appears to be something very special.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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