Justifying the hype surrounding Burke's bold Bundesliga move

It has long been suggested that more British players should test themselves elsewhere in Europe in order to develop their game or, in some cases, escape the limelight. The likes of Joe Hart and Jack Wilshere had the opportunity to do the latter, with the former taking it given he had considerably fewer options than his England counterpart - who opted for Bournemouth over a Serie A switch.

Meanwhile one youngster took the bold decision to broaden his footballing education oversees, joining a side with genuine European prospects above one that might not match his own ambition in the Premier League. When Oliver Burke completed a shock £13m move to newly promoted RB Leipzig of the Bundesliga, it’s fair to say it caught most off guard.

Those that don’t follow the Championship and thus hadn’t seen the teenager in action wondered what all the fuss was about, while the large number of suitors he had gained in England’s top-flight were left ruing how the German side had not only kept the transfer so quiet, but completed it so promptly.

According to Bundesliga expert Raphael Honigstein, speaking on the latest edition of the Guardian’s football weekly podcast, the line from Leipzig was that Burke turned down wages twice what was offered to make the move to Germany, as a number of Premier League club desperately scrambled to keep the Scot in England. After a scintillating start to the Championship campaign his stock had risen substantially, along with his list of admirers.

So why has a player who only turned 19 in April already commanded such a lofty price, and can he live up to the hype that, even among the Forest fanbase, has multiplied substantially in recent weeks? Burke, after all, had started just 6 league games before the current campaign, and while identified as an extremely promising prospect by his club, is all of a sudden drawing comparisons to the likes of Gareth Bale.

While hasty, the parallels are understandable. RB Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick is certainly full of praise for the winger. "We're delighted that we have managed to lure such a talented player away from England. He's tall, incredibly quick. He's got lots of promise for the future."

Meanwhile, where Bale took time to develop physically, cutting a somewhat gangling figure before really working on the sort of body shape that saw him become a world record breaking transfer, Burke is already ahead of the curve in that respect. With image off the field as much as on it increasingly important to those emerging through the ranks at their clubs, more and more youngsters work as hard in the gym as they do on the playing field these days, which certainly wasn’t the case in years gone by.

Importantly, though, those that have monitored the player’s development closely suggest he has the attitude and desire to go to the very top. Reserved and mindful off the pitch, Burke knows that it will take more than the ability he is blessed with to realise his potential, stating "It's an old cliche, but it's spot-on that you have to treat your body as a temple. You have to eat the right things and do the right things to recuperate.”

Indeed, it would be remiss to suggest that Burke doesn’t spend enough time honing his skills, but he has developed an already strong natural body shape over the summer to come back this season as a physically intimidating proposition to have to halt. Combining pace with a considerable amount of power, the Scotland international adds height to the mix and as such embodies the modern day ‘super-footballer’.

Such assets allow him to run at players at frightening speed, while a confidence to take the quickest route to goal has made him a fearsome prospect for opposition defenders. Bale is a master of the art, but didn't play in such a way quite so early. Crucially Burke isn’t one dimensional in that sense. He’s willing to go on the outside of his opponent or cut infield and, pertinently, to look for the space between the full-back and centre-half, enabling him to not only bare down on goal but draw fouls by forcing a two-on-one situation that he works in his favour. If you can burst past two players at the same time you're more likely to hurt the opposition.

Of players to feature in five Championship matches this season only five have completed a dribble more often (every 22 minutes), while a tally of 4 goals ahead of his Bundesliga switch saw him share the lead in the scoring charts. With an assist to his name to boot, no player in the second tier has had a direct hand in more goals this season, while only Brighton’s Anthony Knockaert (3) has been awarded with the WhoScored.com man of the match award more times (2), all in all leaving Burke with a rating of 7.72. That figure rises to 8.11 when excluding his substitute appearance against Brentford.

He’s a player that suits Leipzig’s transfer policy, with the teenager’s move an even more bold one when considering the hostility towards a club that has not been welcomed to their first top-flight campaign with open arms. Spending their way to the top having been formed by the Red Bull franchise just seven years ago, football purists are unsurprisingly against the Leipzig model, fearing the worst for the future of the game if other organisations were to follow suit.

Nevertheless, there is no question that the side is an exciting one having invested in some of the best homegrown talent - including Davie Selke and Timo Werner - and since widened the net. Burke, in that regard, is the latest catch from further afield, joining the likes of Marcel Sabitzer, Yussuf Poulsen and Naby Keita. The average age of the 13 outfielders used in their Bundesliga debut against Hoffenheim was just over 23 and a half. Leipzig is a club that may be in its infancy but is very much planning with the future in mind.

The signing of Oliver Burke is crucial to their vision, as well as a real statement that the club are willing to compete financially with competitors both at home and abroad. £13m may seem a lot. It is, after all, a record fee for a club renowned for buying success and the highest ever spent on a Scotsman that will still be a teenager nearing the end of his debut season at his new club.

While Burke may have removed himself from the spotlight of the English media for the time being, his is a name that is unlikely to be forgotten, particularly by the European powerhouses that were thought to have taken an interest before what was a very surprising switch. He starts his Bundesliga adventure with a mouth-watering tie against Borussia Dortmund. It's some step up from a season opener against Burton Albion and he will need time to adjust.

Nevertheless, Leipzig’s gain is a massive loss to Forest, regardless of the fee recouped for his services. Meanwhile Scottish fans will be keeping a keen eye on the progress of a player they hope one day can prove as talismanic as Bale has been for Wales.

Will Burke be a success in the Bundesliga? Let us know your thoughts on his move in the comments below