ONE TO POACH: Laszlo Lencse

HUNGARIAN hot-shot Laszlo Lencse is the latest focus of our One to Poach feature.

Each week, we run the rule over one of the globe's hottest properties with a full report supplied by our friends at IMScouting.com.

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Name: Laszlo Lencse

Club: MTK Budapest

Age: 21

Position: Striker

Statistics: (Hungarian NB I):

Appearances: 12, Goals: 9, Assists: 2, Yellow Cards: 4

Laszlo Lencse has been one of the revelations of the 2009/2010 season. He is only 21 years old but has already established himself as a starter for Hungarian giants MTK and is one of the most prolific strikers in the league.

Similar to Under-20 World Cup star and former MTK team mate Krisztian Nemeth, Lencse is also from Gyor and learnt the basics of soccer at local club ETO. Aged 16, he joined MTK's Sandor Academy in Agard which is the top soccer academy in the country.

Lencse played the next seasons in the corresponding Under-19 championships, as an 18-year old and was the top scorer in the Under-19 league. After selling Adam Hrepka, MTK called up the youngster to the first team and he played three games as a substitute in the championship-winning team of 2007/2008.

During the following season, Lencse began to show his quality with an extended run in the first team and at the start of 2009/2010, he has exploded. In 12 games this season, he has scored nine goals and also chipped in with two assists.

Regardless of his young age, he was able to adapt to the pace of the first division as well as the expectations and pressure. When given some space, he is lethal.

He is strong physically, has very high technique, produces accurate shots and headers and is also capable of scoring a number of spectacular goals. He also has amazing finishing skills, as most of the chances he receives end up with the ball in the net.

Lencse is able to receive long balls, control them, but often unable to withstand the defender's pressure behind him. To his credit often two or three defenders attack him with not much help from his team-mates.

In addition, Lencse is pretty good defensively, he often attacks defenders when they have the ball trying to force an error which could lead to an opportunity.

As MTK are heavily reliant on selling players to sustain themselves, it will be no surprise to see Lencse move abroad next summer.

His contract with the club runs out at the end of season 2010/2011 and he could be a real find for a mid-level club in a major European league at a cost of no more than 250,000 euros.

IMScouting.com -the leading online database for professional football clubs and agents. It is used by some of the biggest clubs in the world to find new talent, including Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and Lille.

Let us know what you think about Lencse and who else we should be featuring by dropping us a line using the feedback form below.

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