Sadegh Moharrami (25-RB) joined Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb 3 seasons ago, and has since developed into one of the best full-backs in the league.
Amongst defenders in the 20/21 season, Moharrami is:
#1 in duels won (75.8% success rate)
#1 in tackles/90 (3.5)
#3 in dribbles completed/90 (1.46)
#3 in fouls drawn/90 (1.91)
#13 in pass completion rate (84.75%)
The key improvement in Moharrami's skillset this season is in defense. When he first arrived in Zagreb, Moharrami struggled to hold off tricky wingers coming down his side of the pitch, often relying on his pace as his primary defensive tool. After his first season, Moharrami's defensive frailties were noted by the Zagreb staff who had to manage 4 first-team right-backs. It was agreed that he would be sent out on loan to Lokomotiva Zagreb for the 19/20 season to guarantee playtime and development in the defensive side of his game.
At Lokomotiva, Moharrami was challenged to play for a side that didn't dominate the games to the same extent Dinamo did in the 1.HNL or that Persepolis did in the PGPL. It was an environment closer to his professional start at Malavan, where he didn't have talented defensive midfielders to cover for his forward runs. He featured for most of his sides matches in the first half of the season and impressed Dinamo enough to return to their squad and compete in the second half of the 2019/20 season. During his return, he won over the right-back position from Stojanović, helping his side to 5 clean sheets in the 9 league games he featured in.
The 20/21 season would become Moharrami's test to see whether he could be the undisputed starter at one of Europe's most historic clubs. Stojanović was handed the first few starts for Dinamo, but after lackluster performances, the torch was passed to Moharrami who was able to showcase himself as a reinvented and complete fullback. Moharrami would find himself involved in both sides of the pitch, often drifting towards the center to help recover balls and dribble past opposition players. He earned a contract extension till 2025, with the club re-affirming that they view him as an integral part of their long-term plans. Moharrami was already becoming a known name in Croatia, but would also see a rise in his stock after his Europa League performances.
Sadegh Moharrami's heatmap for the 1.HNL 20/21 Season
In the Europa League, Moharrami was Dinamo's top-rated defender(@sofascore): leading the team in tackles and duels won per 90. In terms of overall rating, he is the #2 defender who played 250+ minutes in the Europa League this season. His improvement in tackling and winning duels is linked to his improved decision-making and positioning. Rather than go in for a rash challenge from a long sprint back, Moharrami has learned to position himself well when opposition forwards are in his zone. His improved decision-making has come with him making more challenges - challenges that are calculated and end up winning the ball back for his team. He shutdown Feyenoord and Wolfsberger, and limited CSKA Moscow's offensive ability. At the same time, his offensive ability shined with his improved long passing ability. Moharrami's excels at weighting his passes vertically to wingers, as well as lobbing the ball into midfielders. We saw both of these in action in Team Melli's friendly against Uzbekistan.
Not everything has gone to plan for Moharrami this season. A muscle injury in late January caused him to miss the second half of the season and the knockouts in the Europa League as his side bowed out to eventual finalists Villareal. Dinamo's coach being sentenced to prison hasn't helped Moharrami's case either. Now recovered from his injury, many are awaiting his return in the final league games, but perhaps club management wants to keep him healthy for next year. The club has 3 senior rightbacks and a talented youngsters on the books at the moment, but Moharrami has become a fan and management favorite.
So where does this leave Moharrami for next season? A defensively and technically talented right back who should feature for Dinamo at the highest level. Dinamo will be looking to make it into the Champions League group stage through qualification rounds in the summer. Moharrami will be able to test his improved skillset against Europe's best, and if he succeeds, he may end up moving to a top league in 2022. As for Team Melli, Skocic rates him enough to start him when fit, and from a sporting decision, he has earned it to be Iran's #1 right back.
Chart from @CroatianScout2
Fun fact: Sadegh's younger brother Amir Reza (18) is a winger for Malavan Anzali in the Azadegan League.