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Scouting Omar Abdulrahman: Rumoured Manchester City Transfer Target

Sam Tighe@@stighefootballX.com LogoWorld Football Tactics Lead WriterJanuary 23, 2013

According to multiple sources, including Sport 360, Manchester City have been linked with United Arab Emirates starlet Omar Abdulrahman again.

The 21-year-old Al-Ain youngster shone at the London 2012 Olympics for his nation and becomes the latest nifty playmaker to interest Roberto Mancini.

So let's get the low-down on him as a player.

The club took him on trial earlier this season (via Goal.com) and continue to keep an eye on him, but may have to move quickly to sign him now that Hamburg SV have joined the chase.

For a player so young and so far from the spotlight, he's already received some star-level treatment.

After turning some heads at the Olympics and grabbing two assists, Ryan Giggs and Micah Richards both heaped praise on him for some superb performances.

Fans and media alike were left drooling after a superlative display against Uruguay (above), with his step-overs and clever turns in vast quantities consistently flummoxing Sebastian Coates and Co.

He has got outrageously quick feet and an inventive mind. During the Olympics, it was clear he had just one thing on his mind when he got the ball—move forward, drive into the penalty box.

He is such a positive player that every ball he plays is either a vertical pass or a cross/cut-back into a dangerous area. He showed versatility by being able to pick the ball up deep and find room to play through his three games at the Olympics, making him a threat in every area of the pitch.

But if Manchester City choose to add him to their burgeoning ranks, there would be some red flags to consider.

He is effective in the UAE and on the international scene because he's allowed time and space. Would he be given that chance in the English Premier League?

It is harsh to judge a player so raw before anything happens, but would his spindly frame lead to a Pablo Aimar-esque underachievement or a Cristiano Ronaldo-esque maturing?

It could go either incredibly well or quite poorly for the 21-year-old and Manchester City.