Tayo Edun is a player that is being monitored by clubs at a higher level and there is a chance that we could see him move up to the Championship before the transfer window closes.
In this scout report, we break down Edun’s strengths and weaknesses in the three phases of play – attacking, defensive and the transitions between the two – and look at his physical profile.
Player profile
Tayo Edun, also known as Adetayo Edun, is an energetic and industrious left-back who can also play as competently as a left wing-back and central midfielder, and on occasions as a holding midfielder. Edun signed for Lincoln City in January 2020 from Fulham, where he came through the youth ranks. He has represented England at U-17, U-19 and U-20 levels and represented his country at both the U-17 World Cup in 2015 and U-20 World Cup in 2017. In the 2020-21 season, he played 3,450 minutes across 44 games (39 starts) in League One, helping his team reach the playoff final where they were defeated. Edun stands at 5ft 10.
Edun displays great offensive play while also showing strong defensive qualities and looks to be a very good option at left-back. He likes to play in a direct manner and with a high tempo. He is a very aggressive presser and has bundles of energy, so he can keep this intensity up throughout matches. He is a good ball carrier and makes good progressive runs as well as being a creative player displaying good forward and progressive passes.
Data profiling
Edun is an industrious, energetic and creative left full-back, wing-back and central midfielder who is capable of making plenty of progressive runs down the left side.
Edun has predominantly played as a left-back last season, however, he has also had plenty of minutes playing as a central midfielder. Lincoln have swapped between a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 in the 2020-21 season, occasionally also playing a 4-1-4-1. Edun looks comfortable playing as a left-back as much as in the midfield. He has played mostly as a left-back during this season but appears to be comfortable when asked to play in the centre of midfield.
Comparison
We like to compare players we scout with players at a higher level that we like – so we have compared Edun to Barnsley’s Callum Styles who had a great season for the Tykes. While Styles attempts more aerial duels per 90, Edun has a much greater success rate with these, making him more effective when battling for an aerial ball. However, while they share a similar number of defensive duels attempted per 90, Styles wins much more of these duels than Edun. This could be a side of Edun’s game that could be worked on as he is strong in the challenge and his timing of the tackle is very good. Edun appears to be a much stronger passer and a far greater progressive player than Styles, being more successful with progressive passes, forward passes, passing accuracy and progressive runs.
He makes an excellent option at left-back and wing-back due to his ability to work up and down the pitch with great intensity, as well as his ability to make good progressive runs. He is also an aggressive presser and does so with great intensity.
Defensive phase
Edun’s timing of the tackle is very impressive, he stays very strong in defensive duels and likes to stay on his feet when in 1v1 situations and not dive in. This is one of the reasons why he has such a good defensive duels won percentage at 59.8% per 90. His man-marking is just as impressive and stays close to his man in defensive phases of play, constantly hassling him.
His defensive positioning and understanding is also very impressive and his awareness of the space around him is good. At 46.02%, his aerial duels won percentage is fairly decent for a player that is shorter than 6ft and this is due in part, to his good jumping reach.
Transitions
Edun is offensively aggressive and likes to push higher up the pitch when his side is in possession but does not neglect his defensive duties and can swiftly get back to take up an effective defensive position.
He is very quick and aggressive when transitioning into defensive phases of play, using his agility, speed and great work ethic to quickly get back into a good defensive shape.
He is just as aggressive transitioning into offensive phases of play, also using his speed and desire to get forward and help his team out in attack.
Attacking phase
Edun’s dribbling is very good and he looks impressive in 1v1 situations, using his speed and good ball control to get past his man. Coupled with this, his progressive runs also look good and he likes to drive up the pitch in an urgent manner when his team is in possession. His decision making is strong and he displays great knowledge and understanding of the game, is able to read situations well and make the right choice for the team.
His long passing is good and he has the ability to switch play well, quickly and efficiently getting the ball to a teammate in space on the opposite side. His passes to the final third are also good and he attempts, on average 7.02 per 90 which is promising for a side that like to play in a more direct manner. He likes to play the ball forwards as often as possible and this is shown by him attempting 19.25 forward passes per 90 and 12.18 progressive passes per 90. His crossing is decent but would probably need to be worked on for him to be considered a good crosser of the ball.
Physical profile
Edun is a quick player and has a great engine which allows him to get up and down the pitch quickly and effectively. He is able to join in and play his part in attacking phases of play high up the pitch and then swiftly get back into a good defensive shape at the other end of the pitch or get back to make a tackle. He looks to be able to keep up this high-intensity style throughout the game and his strength conditioning is very impressive, being able to stay strong in 1v1 situations.
His physical capabilities make him a good option at left-back, left wing-back and central midfield. He is able to cover a large amount of ground both in defensive and offensive phases of play.
Conclusion
At 23 years of age, there is still a chance for Edun to develop further and he has the potential to play at a Premier League level. He has had to wait until the 2020/21 season to get regular football at a professional level and he has taken the chance with both hands. He is an extremely hard-working, creative and progressive player who has great energy, making him a suitable match for a team that like to play a more direct and high intense pressing style.
He may need to work on being more successful in defensive duels despite the timing of his tackles being good, and under the right tutelage, this could be achieved. He may also need some work on his crosses.
Progressively and creatively he is a very exciting option at left-back and looks very strong in attacking phases of play.
Current: Tier 2
Future: Tier 1
