Avid Football Manager fans will know of Breel Embolo. He burst onto the scene with FC Basel as a 17-year-old and was among the best forwards to purchase in the 2014 version of this game.
Unlike many wonderkids, Embolo lived up to his pc game charging in real life. Still shy of his 20th birthday, the Basel feeling was averaging a goal every three games across all contests.
Borussia Dortmund held a strong fascination with him but it had been rivals Schalke who landed the Switzerland international in a deal rumoured to be worth around $20million.
It was a substantial investment to get a teenager, let alone one with just two full seasons at the Swiss league under his belt.
His initial goals did not arrive until October when he netted a double against Borussia Mönchengladbach. However, his season was over a week afterward.
Embolo did not return until September 2017. He slowly got back up to speed and ended up making over 20 appearances in all competitions, but lacked that spark in the last third and scored only three times. He doubled that tally throughout the 2018/19 season but missed a huge chunk of this season, 16 matches in total, after suffering a fractured foot.
In one of those surprise moves of this summer Schalke cashed in on Embolo — recouping near half of the fee they paid for him by selling him to Bundesliga rivals Gladbach.
Along with Embolo, they signed Marcus Thuram to provide competition to Alassane Pléa from the assault.
It has not been the best of starts for Rose — BMG were thrashed 4-0 by Wolfsberg at the Europa League — but following the triumph over Fortuna Düsseldorf last week, Gladbach find themselves in sixth place, only three points off leaders RB Leipzig. They are going under the radar, as Embolo is.
Against FC Köln, Rose chose to begin all three with Embolo inhabiting an attacking midfield role. Among the six slaloming runs from deep caused havoc and the movement ended with Pléa passing the ball to the net for what turned out to be the winner.
The Gladbach No.36 is slowly but surely beginning to deliver eye-popping performances. He is at a team that plays to his strengths and he seems to be enjoying himself along Thuram and Pléa.
The sample size is not the biggest but, as things stand, Embolo’s anticipated goals per 90 total of 0.61 is the highest it has been since he left the move to Germany. He is taking more shots than ever before, also, registering 3.15 per 90. Last year with Schalke it was 1.72.
Many feared the Embolo that terrorised the Swiss league as a teen was long gone. Ruined by injuries, it is hard for any player to rediscover their form and reach the top level. Yet the 22-year-old is now doing that.
They are still adapting to what Rose wants out of his players while the new signings; Thuram, Embolo and Stefan Lainer mattress in their new surroundings. The Switzerland international’s performances are a huge positive.
This might be the season where Embolo gets his derailed career back on track. If he does, Gladbach is going to have a significant talent in their hands if they are able to cultivate his abilities. Their #9million investment could produce a massive return. He has the playing profile almost all of Europe’s elite will be considering.
