Hugo Larsson: Unicorns are real and they play defensive midfield for Frankurt

Hugo Larsson is a unicorn.

The ginger Swede is a 6 ft 2 holding midfielder who plays in the heart of Frankfurt’s midfield with the elegance and poise of a tricky Spanish number 10. Sometimes he will do things in a game, such as beat his man or take the ball on the half-turn whilst its still in the air to completely pacify two opponents, that just doesn’t look right coming from his body. He’s gangly and doesn’t exactly look like he should be a very good footballer but when you watch him, you see a player who is able to glide around the pitch effortlessly, hoovering up space to his heart’s content without ever looking too fazed by oncoming pressure. 

Does this profile sound remotely familiar to you? Because to me, every time I have watched Larsson, he has eerily reminded me of a certain legendary Spanish defensive midfielder. Now, I’m not saying he is as good or will ever be as good as him but I swear that they whey they control the ball, the way they dribble and the way they feint their body to bamboozle the press is literally almost the same. 

Of course, I’m talking about Sergio Busquets - arguably the best defensive midfielder of all time. When Larsson is operating at his best, he has shades of Busquets or perhaps even a Michael Carrick. Composure, intelligence, technique, a large frame in order to cover ground quickly and make impressive slide tackles - all 3 of these players’ profiles are similar.

But, there is a skillset that Larsson is equipped with, that separates him from these two legends of the game and places him in a precarious position where there really isn’t anyone else like him at his age. 

He can score goals. 

Larsson has a great knack for being able to arrive at great positions in the box to be able to head the ball home or slide one past the keeper. Although he only ranks in the 38th percentile for total shots per game among midfielders across Europe, Larsson ranks in the top 9% for goals scored whilst being  in the top 1% for shots on target percentage and shots taken per goal. Reminder that this is supposed to be a defensive midfielder.

He can truly do it all which makes the Swedish international a coach’s dream because he can play a variety of different roles. Typically operating in a midfield pivot, Larsson is at his best when he has license to roam forward and run into space with the ball. He can easily play in a 2 or a 3 due to his broad skillset and physical capabilities and I believe he possesses a profile and intelligence which can translate to Europe’s biggest clubs.

It must be said that Larsson is still raw and his defensive intuition still needs work, as he can often be caught ball-watching or just not where he should be and this leads him to having to make rash tackles to atone for his mistakes. This is why he ranks in the top 6% in Europe for fouls committed. 

He also has a tendency to be inventive to a fault when playing in the middle, trying flicks and passes that are just slightly too risky and causes his side to lose possession. However this is the price you pay for individuality and shouldn’t be completely coached out of Larsson, he just needs to be shown when the right time is to use these unique traits and then he will flourish.

Hugo Larsson is one-of-a-kind and I hope this doesn’t come to his detriment. If a manager is able to use him correctly and optimise and nurture the talent the Frankfurt midfielder possesses, then I believe that we are looking at a world-class potential player.