By Nick Dorrington
Augsburg were the Bundesliga's surprise package last season. After finishing eighth during the 2013-14 campaign, they improved again to finish fifth ahead of the likes of Schalke and Borussia Dortmund in 2014-15.
Young full-back Baba Rahman played a key role in their success and his performances appear to have attracted the attention of bigger clubs.
Rahman was born in Tamale in the north of Ghana and began his career in the country's second-division club Dreams FC. A loan move to top-flight side Asante Kotoko followed at age 17, and his impressive displays there began to see him linked with a move to Europe. While numerous clubs were said to be interested, he decided that newly promoted Bundesliga side Greuther Furth would offer him the most realistic chance of regular first-team football.
His European career got off to an inauspicious start with a red card on his debut in the German Cup, but he gradually started to settle and had made 18 league starts by the end of his first campaign in the Bundesliga. Furth were relegated at the end of the season, and he continued to appear on a semi-regular basis in the second tier, with 14 starts from 34 matches. His club missed out on promotion but Rahman was destined for the top flight.
It was Augsburg who paid just €2 million to secure his signature in August of last year, and he immediately became a first-team regular for Markus Weinzierl's side. Two assists on his home debut against Borussia Dortmund helped him quickly gain the support and trust of the SGL Arena faithful. The 21-year-old started 29 matches over the course of the season and drew numerous plaudits for his committed, energetic performances at left-back.
In January, he joined up with the Ghana squad for the African Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea, where he performed solidly for a side who made it all the way through to the final before losing on penalties to Ivory Coast. He had previously helped his country to a third-place finish at the 2013 under-20 World Cup in Turkey.
Reports earlier this month suggested that Chelsea were in pole position to secure Rahman's signature, having followed his progress closely ever since his arrival in Europe. Arsenal, Manchester City, Juventus and Roma have also been credited with an interest. Augsburg have said that they will only consider offers of more than €20m for their young full-back, although his agent believes that an offer between €18-20m would be sufficient. Style
Rahman is a quick, agile and two-footed attacking full-back who is highly proactive in his defensive work and has the necessary pace and energy to move forward swiftly once possession is won. He was one of the Bundesliga's most prolific tacklers last season yet also ranked in the top eight among full-backs for both attempted dribbles and crosses.
The 21-year-old has named Real Madrid's Marcelo as his role model, and he is very clear about where his own strengths lie. "The key thing about my play is my pace, technique and willingness to attack," he recently told FIFA.com.
Major Strengths
- quick and agile - two-footed - competitive and alert in his defensive work
Major Weaknesses
- lacks a bit of upper-body strength - poor passing accuracy - slow to get back into position Assessment Breakdown
Tackling: As noted above, his average of 2.94 tackles per 90 minutes was the highest number of any defender in the Bundesliga last season, while ranking fourth in overall tackles. Competitive into the tackle, he usually looks to stay on his feet rather than go to the ground.
Marking: Attentive in his marking duties, he immediately seeks to put his man under pressure from the moment they receive the ball. His speed usually means that he is able to recover his position if he is initially caught a step or two behind. He can, however, be out-muscled in one-on-one duels and is less comfortable when he doesn't have a fixed opponent to focus on.
Heading: At 5-foot-10, he is fairly tall for a full-back and also has a good leap on him. He won a very solid 67.5 percent of his aerial duels last season. Capable of competing in the air on long diagonals out to his flank or when tucking in at the far post to defend crosses.
Close control: Comfortably two-footed and very neat and tidy in his touch. He can swiftly manipulate the ball from foot to foot to escape congested areas. With his swift burst of acceleration and strong outright pace, this makes him an excellent outlet for his side in transitioning forward from defence into attack.
Passing: An area of his game that he really needs to work on and improve, as he currently gives the ball away far too often, and at times in dangerous areas. In his eagerness to move upfield, he is often guilty of failing to focus sufficiently on the execution of his first forward pass, which can result in sloppy giveaways. Does also over-telegraph his passes at times.
Positioning: Generally alert to the positioning of his opponents and of his own position within the back four. Made clear improvements in this regard throughout the course of the past season. Can be slow to get back into position once attacking moves break down.
Crossing: All four of his assists last season came from crosses into the area. His whipped-in deliveries for Tim Matavz's goal at home to Dortmund in August 2014 and Tobias Werner's away to Mainz in October that same year were particularly impressive. Usually looks to play the ball into the box from slightly deeper diagonal positions, but he is also capable of taking on his man and providing low crosses across the face of goal from nearer to the byline.
Finishing: Has only scored twice in 75 appearances since moving to Germany with Furth in 2012 and rarely gets forward into the sort of positions from which a shot on goal would be a viable option. He attempted just seven shots last season and only one of those was on target. What The Experts Say
German football expert Stefan Bienkowski: "The Ghanaian international is still very young yet possesses the skill and intelligence of a defender who has long since figured out every trick in the winger's handbook of skills. This full-back is going to be a star."
Conclusion
Rahman made a very strong impression last season as part of an Augsburg side who defied expectations to qualify for Europe by finishing fifth in the Bundesliga. Numerous clubs are reported to be chasing his signature and it seems that he will have a good range of options available to him if he does decide to leave Bavaria this summer.
Energetic and hard-working on the pitch and ever-smiling off of it, the 21-year-old has taken each and every step up in his career in stride and appears to be a well-balanced and determined character. Ghana coach Avram Grant was certainly quick to recommend the full-back to his former employers Chelsea after working with him at close quarters during the African Nations Cup earlier this year.
There are still things he needs to work and improve on, but even at his current level Rahman is a player who would hope to be challenging for a first-team place at a Champions League club. With Augsburg in the Europa League next season, there is no real imperative for him to leave. But if he does, the buying club will be purchasing a full-back who looks to have all the necessary qualities to become one of the best in his position over the coming years.