Kjartan Már Kjartansson is an 18-year-old Icelandic defensive midfielder playing for Stjarnan Gardabaer. Becoming a regular starter in the second half of the season, the U19 international made 17 appearances (1,176 minutes) between Besta deild karla and its finals during his second full season in the senior squad. Kjartansson had 6 yellow card bookings in that time and in Conference League qualifiers was booked two more times.
Physically, he is tall for his position with a broad-shouldered, lanky frame. Kjartansson is not particularly fast but utilizes his long strides to cover ground, especially during recoveries. With his size comes strength that holds up well at this level and is impressive for his age. Athletically, he more stands out for his frame than his movement abilities, so he works a lot on his positioning, although he is prone to a slow reaction to a pass or the odd late recovery.
From his position centrally in the midfield line, Kjartansson sticks to the base of midfield. From here, he places himself in passing lanes and keeps his hips open to the ball, allowing his instincts and reaction time to take the wheel. He can be a bit risky or slow in his reactions and primarily operates off ball defensively, knowing his physical limitations that often put him at a disadvantage in 1v1s. When Kjartansson does get taken on, it is his physicality that he can rely upon, especially when closing out as he can force possession backward himself. That physicality and strength comes into play in his duels, primarily going into challenges on his feet and using his strong frame to body opponents off ball. As a defender, he understands his limitations and typically plays it safe defensively outside of the natural aggression in physical duels.
When attacking, Kjartansson primarily stays back where he is comfortable in the base of midfield. From there, he prefers to dictate play with his calm on ball presence (with or without pressure) and his somewhat two-footedness that helps him spread play via the ground to either wing with ease. His distribution is wide-ranging and can be incisive in breaking lines or creating near-assists on passes into the final third. His vision and distribution accuracy from range make him an ideal fit at deep-lying playmaker.
While bigger clubs were fighting for the signature of Gísli Thórdarson, Kjartansson has developed into a useful no. 6 for Stjarnan while being two years younger. Playing smart football and knowing when to utilize his physicality are the keys to his success in senior football. Those strengths combined with typical deep-lying playmaker traits create a profile with more potential than his physical attributes suggest. Kjartansson will need a year or two more domestically to develop, but his youth and European experience suggest that he can become a reliable performer for clubs in the Eliteserien.
Target Scouting 
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