Jhon Acurio is a 16-year-old striker who plays for Barcelona SC. He mainly played for Barcelona SC U-19, but also played regularly for the U-17’s whilst also making his debut for the first team of Barcelona SC. Acurio scored 9 goals in 10 matches for the U-17’s and 7 goals in 12 matches for the U-19’s. He was also part of Ecuador U-17 at the U-17 Sudamericano, but did not make the World Cup squad because of disciplinary issues to which he responded with a cryptic Instagram message.
Standing at around 1.78m with a firm build, Jhon Acurio has a very strong frame for a striker. Acurio has great speed over long distances, whilst also displaying excellent bursts of speed. He is capable of accelerating and deaccelerating on the ball, making it difficult for his opponents to defend him. Acurio uses his body very efficiently in shoulder-to-shoulder duels, holding off his opponents and being capable of pushing opponents off the ball. The young Ecuadorian changes directions quickly and is very mobile.
His technical and tactical profile is very interesting, too. Jhon Acurio displays good ball-striking with both feet, although his left foot is slightly worse than his stronger right foot. He can be an inconsistent finisher at times but displays excellent off-the-ball movement to get into scoring position easily. He finds space out wide well with well-timed runs but can also make runs in between both central defenders. Acurio has a good first touch. He displays good close control while dribbling, also using his good changes of speed to get past opponents. His long passing is also good, managing to switch play well under pressure. Acurio leads the line well, coaching his teammates when to put pressure. He also tracks back well in transition now and then.
Until now, everything in this report has been nothing but praise for Jhon Acurio. However, his mental/psychological profile is extremely poor. In every match that I watched of Jhon Acurio, he has been frustrated towards teammates, referees and even fans. He consistently complains and looks very aggressive towards the opponents after he lost a match. Acurio also got sent off in the final of the league against Barcelona when they were 5-0 down.
My expectation for 2024 is that Jhon Acurio continues to play for the U-19’s while still making the matchday squad for the first team. He is one of Ecuador’s biggest natural talents, but his lack of mentality and strange behaviour are signs that he will not fulfill his potential. At the age of only 16, there is plenty of time for Acurio to realize that his natural talent only will not bring him to Champions League teams. If he does realize this, he still has the potential to become a very good striker in a big European league. However, I don’t think he will fulfill his potential.
Target Scouting 