"We exchanged views" – Eintracht boss lifts lid on decisive summer talks with Can Uzun

After joining Eintracht Frankfurt from 1. FC Nürnberg in the summer of 2024, Can Uzun needed time to settle into the Bundesliga and adjust to his new surroundings.

Now, at 19, the forward has emerged as a key figure, scoring six goals and providing four assists in his first seven appearances of the season.

As Eintracht’s managing director for sport Markus Krösche revealed in an interview with Kicker, Uzun’s breakthrough was helped by a frank conversation over the summer.

Krösche was keen to prevent impatience and frustration from creeping in after a debut season in which Uzun was used mainly from the bench.

“As a club, we were 100 percent satisfied with his first year. He joined us as an 18-year-old, and for his age he did very well. Especially since the competition in attack with players like Omar Marmoush, Hugo Ekitiké, Mario Götze and Ansgar Knauff was fierce. Still, Can played around 1,000 minutes in competitive matches,” the Eintracht boss explained.

“It was important to make sure that he and his camp could also be satisfied with the season. He should play with joy and not put too much pressure on himself.”

One area the club highlighted for improvement was his defensive contribution.