Morten Frendrup – Brøndby’s 20-year-old midfield warrior by @scoutcharts
Background
Morten Frendrup is young, but he has already established himself as an important part of Brøndby’s team. He is one of the most talented midfielders in the league, and he is known for his humble approach, but he is also more than capable of getting stuck in when needed. He is very interesting for foreign clubs as he has been tested in the best Danish league, he has played European football and he has played an important part for the various Danish youth national teams.
Who is Morten Frendrup?
Morten Frendrup is 20 years old and 180 centimeters tall. He is currently playing for the defending champions of Denmark, and he joined them when he was 14, and is therefore a product of Brøndby’s academy, which is called “Brøndby Masterclass”. For Brøndby, he is mainly used as a central midfielder, but he also often plays as a defensive midfielder, and he has even been used on both wings in Niels Frederiksen’s 3-5-2 system. He has played 41 games for the various Danish national teams, just as Gustav Isaksen, and he has already played 93 games for Brøndby at the age of 20, which is remarkable considering the size of Brøndby as a club.
Playing Style
Morten Frendrup is a humble young man, but he is very passionate on a football pitch. His main strength is his defensive capabilities. His ability to read the game is very impressive, and he will make a lot of interceptions during a game. He is also quite fast, which allows him to often track down his opponents that are looking to create chances. This comparison from http://scoutcharts.com just shows how good he is defensively.
It is crystal clear that he offers defensive stability to his team. He puts in more tackles than 99,2% of midfielders, wins more duels than 87% of midfielders and he intercepts more than 68,3% of midfielders. He is not your flashy midfielder, but he does the simple stuff to perfection. His stamina is impressive, and he is physically strong. He is also very reliable, and he has totally played 6.636 minutes for Brøndby in 93 games, which adds up to around 71 minutes per game. He rarely stops running, and he always positions himself to give his teammates a passing option.
He is also capable of driving the ball forward because of his pace and agility, but he still needs to work on having the ball at his feet, and also needs to work on his longer, progressive passing. If he continues to develop, he could very well turn into a midfielder that offers a lot at both ends of the pitch.
Similar Players
Morten Frendrup reminds me of N’Golo Kanté. Big comparison, I know, but they share some of the same traits. They are both not the biggest and most intimidating midfielders, but they are both fast, great at reading the game, and they intercept almost everything. Both players are also good dribblers of the ball, and Kanté has evolved into a well-rounded midfielder with offensive abilities, which also could become the case with Morten Frendrup.
What’s Next for Morten Frendrup?
It is hard to predict Morten Frendrup’s future. You can always tell, that he loves to play for Brøndby, but bigger clubs would be ignorant to not keep a close eye on this young man. He is 20 years old, and has played 93 games for one of the biggest Danish clubs, with 8 of them being in the Champions League and Europa League, and also 41 games for the various Danish youth national teams, while also being an integral part of Brøndby winning the league in 2020/21.
Eintracht Frankfurt recently bought Jesper Lindstrøm, and he has been successful, so I wouldn’t be too surprised if a German club will try and persuade Frendrup in the near future. He would fit perfectly in the Bundesliga where high intensity pressing and fast-paced games are common.