Oscar Gloukh: Israel’s Diamond in the Rough
Club: Red Bull Salzburg
Nationality: Israel
Position(s): AM, CM, CF
Preferred Foot: Right
Height: 5’7”/170cm
Age: 19
Strengths: Composure, Creativity, Vision, Ambidexterity, Ball-Striking, Agility
Areas for Development: Defensive Contribution, Physicality
It has been a scintillating couple of years for Israeli football, with the Skyblue and Whites reaching the 2022 U-19 Euros Final, only to lose to England in extra time. The following year, they finished second in their group, ahead of Czech Republic and Germany, and edged Georgia on penalties before losing 3-0 to England in the semifinals of the U-21 Euros — as a result of their semifinals placement, Israel qualified to the 2024 Summer Olympics, sealing qualification for the third time ever and the first time since 1976.
Their first-ever participation in the U-20 World Cup came under threat with a prominent political leader in Indonesia attempting to prevent the squad from staying in the country — instead, the tournament was moved to Argentina, where they would lose their first match to Colombia before drawing to Senegal and narrowly edging Japan via an extra time goal from Omer Senior to qualify out of their group. Their late heroics would come to the fore once more, as Anan Khalaily’s 97th-minute goal saw them edge Uzbekistan 1-0 in the Round of 16.
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They would pull off one of the biggest upsets of the entire tournament, beating Brazil 3-2 in extra time, before falling 1-0 to Uruguay in the semifinals. Israel beat South Korea 3-1 in the third-place match with Ran Binyamin opening the scoring early on and Senior and Khalaiy scoring late goals to grab the bronze medal, whilst Uruguay would beat Italy 1-0 in the final via an 86th-minute goal from Luciano Rodríguez.
It is an exciting time to be an Israeli football fan, with the nation of 9 million currently enjoying a golden generation of promising youngsters. With Manor Solomon (Tottenham), Liel Abada (Celtic), and Stav Lemkin (Shakhtar) all under the age of 25, the retirement of record goal scorer, Eran Zahavi, doesn’t seem all to worrying for Israel. Despite a somewhat lacklustre start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, with Switzerland and Romania currently leading the way in their group, there remains huge optimism for the future of Israeli football.
Among the talented young players in the Israel set-up, Oscar Gloukh is the jewel in the crown. The RB Salzburg number ten is capable of being the creative fulcrum of a team, providing supreme technical ability and ice-cold composure. Gloukh is most at home in zone 14 – the area of the pitch considered by analysts as the most dangerous in chance creation – roaming around the half spaces using his technical ability and vison to pick out line-breaking passes. His composure allows him to keep level-headed and make great decisions when in the attacking phase.
Crucially, Gloukh has also been a revelation for Israel’s youth and the senior team as well, scoring four goals in his 16 matches for the under-19 national team. He would make his under-21 debut under Alon Hazan, now the senior team head coach. Gloukh’s performances at the U-19 Euros established his status as one of world football’s most promising attacking midfielders. With three goals, including one in the final against England, Gloukh helped Israel immensely as they achieved the U-19’s best placement in any tournament.
Amongst his varied skillset, perhaps one of Oscar Gloukh’s most abundant qualities is his ambidexterity. The assembly of high-quality dribbling, shooting and passing with both feet further expands the Israeli’s unpredictability. Ball-striking off both feet is a great tool to have which Gloukh uses efficiently. However, his shot volume this season at Salzburg is still relatively low at 2.62 shots per 90. Perhaps his shot volume could be improved to make Gloukh an even bigger threat from the number ten role.
Furthermore, Gloukh’s tactical profile exhibits extreme versatility. He can play as a number ten, behind the striker, the most advanced 8 of a midfield 3, a false 9, and he’s even played some games on either flank. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that his skills are undeniably most effectively utilized when he occupies the number 10 role.
Granted, the number ten role has become less prevalent in its traditional tactical use of centering an entire system around an enigmatic player. But recently, European football has witnessed the rise of technically gifted, advanced number 8s in a three-man midfield as a way of dictating tempo and providing creativity in zone fourteen while still maintaining a strong out-of-possession shape.
Setups with two advanced eights playing between the lines provide a coach with the chance to field more creative players in central areas than if by only using one traditional number ten. Examples of this include the way that Martin Ødegaard has been used at Arsenal and Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City.
There have been multiple reports linking Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City, Manchester United, Barcelona, Milan all with an interest in Gloukh. Whilst rumours of these clubs monitoring his progress and scouting him is not surprising, it is very unlikely we will see another major move from Oscar Gloukh any time soon, having just moved to Austria from boyhood club Maccabi Tel Aviv in January, with his contract set to expire in 2027.
Currently, Gloukh is at a club renowned for being one of the most impressively organised institutions in the sport. From Erling Haaland to Sadio Mané to Dominik Szoboszlai, Red Bull Salzburg produces an almost ceaseless conveyor belt of world-class players and there is no doubt that Oscar Gloukh can be another name on that list. For the time being at least, Israel’s national side and Red Bull Salzburg, are in safe hands.
By: Ben Mattinson / @Ben_Mattinson_
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / NurPhoto