Eintracht Frankfurt are planning the Bundesliga debut of 15-year-old talent Niko Ilicevic. The club has decided to keep the highly sought-after attacker in their senior squad and pave his way into the starting lineup.
Coaches and club officials are convinced of the left-footer's qualities. "The coaches and bosses are raving about the left-footer with pace, technique and goal threat," was the assessment. The national team coach also already has the youth international on his radar.
Despite heavy interest from Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona, Eintracht did everything to keep Ilicevic. The decision was made in favour of long-term development in Frankfurt. The teenager is already training with experienced pros like Mario Götze and is to be gradually introduced to the Bundesliga.
Eintracht Frankfurt currently sit in tenth place in the table with five points from four games. The team has already scored nine goals this season, with striker Younes Ebnoutalib the current top scorer with four. Recent results, including a 2-2 draw against SC Freiburg, show inconsistent form (DWLDW).
By integrating Ilicevic, Eintracht are pursuing a clear strategy of binding young talents to the first team early and offering them clear pathways.
This story first appeared at Bild Sport
