Scouting New Chelsea Signing Matt Miazga

Chelsea confirmed New York Red Bulls defender Matt Miazga joined the club on Saturday.

Speaking at his press conference on Friday ahead Sunday's FA Cup clash with MK Dons, Guus Hiddink revealed Miazga will not follow the usual path for many young players by joining the Blues before being loaned to another club.

"I've not seen [Miazga] live, but he's an up-and-coming youngster," the Chelsea boss explained.

"He is a permanent signing. I've not watched much of him. I saw him being a good, athletic player but my priority [in January] was a striker."

So what can we expect from the New Jersey-born man? Playing the role of football scout, Bleacher Report takes a closer look.

Who Is He?

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Miazga has long been on the radars of MLS fans, being tipped by many, including SB Nation, as one for the future in U.S. football. He came through the academy system at Red Bull Arena, meaning his path is somewhat different to the traditional route to professional sports Stateside.

Usually, players attend college first and then make the step up, but Miazga opted against that by remaining with the Red Bulls to pursue his career.

According to the official MLS website, he was set to study at the University of Michigan before signing professional terms with the club three years ago.

That's paid off, giving him plenty of experience and putting him ahead of other players of his age who are still playing for college teams.

Miazga already boasts over 30 first-team appearances in MLS and has yet to celebrate his 21st birthday, which is in July.

What Does He Offer?

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At 20, Miazga remains a raw talent. Like his new team-mate Kurt Zouma, he'll need to put in the hours at Chelsea's training ground to ensure he develops into a player worthy of first-team status in west London.

When Zouma joined Chelsea in 2014, he was at a similar stage of his career. His profile didn't suggest he would be on Chelsea's radar—the likes of Raphael Varane were often grabbing the headlines—but he had the raw components to his game.

From a quick and physically able defender, the 21-year-old Zouma is growing into a player who is also tactically astute. His positioning is getting better, as is his reading of the game. Zouma isn't getting caught out as much, and that's giving Chelsea a more solid look at the back.

Miazga stands at 6'3", giving him a significant height advantage over most players. Thibaut Courtois is Chelsea's tallest player at 6'5", so Miazga isn't too far off the Belgian.

As a centre-back, that aerial ability is always going to be key and is probably one of the reasons he has come to Chelsea's attention.

Miazga does have other talents, though, which shouldn't be overlooked. He's a good footballer, and unlike some other defenders of his stature, he has demonstrated he's capable with the ball at his feet and bringing it out from the back.

He isn't gangly, so as he grows into his body more with time, the expectation is he will become a formidable physical unit to complement that impressive height.

Goal Threat

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Regardless of where they're from or the teams they play for, every 20-year-old football player will have areas they need to develop. It's the nature of the game.

A big one for Miazga is his goal threat. For a player of his height, he doesn't threaten enough at set pieces, and that needs to change.

Over the past decade we've seen John Terry show the rest how it should be done. The Chelsea captain has been a potent threat and scored some vital goals that have won Chelsea matches.

In the modern era, defenders at the top of their game must do similar. Preventing goals at the other end is their most important duty, but giving a team an extra weapon from set pieces isn't too far behind.

Miazga scored just once in his Red Bull career. That goal came last season at Yankee Stadium against New York City FC.

On international duty for the U.S. under-23s, Miazga has also scored just the once, against Cuba.

As the YouTube clip below shows, that header gives a signal as to his aerial power and what a threat he could becaome as he develops.

International Pedigree

When Miazga signed his professional contract with NYRB, sporting director Andy Roxburgh described him to his team's website as "one of the best players at his age in the U.S."

He's still only 20 years old, but U.S. men's national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann is beginning to agree it seems, giving him his international debut last November.

To date, that remains Miazga's only appearance for his country, but he is being billed as a big part his country's future.

More from Roxburgh and his thoughts on Miazga can be seen in the video below.

Former NYRB Team-Mate: 'Miazga Will Be Eaten Alive at Chelsea'

Despite Chelsea's investment in Miazga, a mystery former team-mate of the American believes he will struggle to settle into English football.

Speaking under anonymity to the Secret Footballer (via Daily Express), the player who played alongside Miazga at Red Bull Arena said:

"

He is a really nice guy but pretty naive and he plays young.

He looks big but he is soft, so hopefully he gets a little stronger and meaner otherwise he will be eaten alive in the Premier League. 

He is a good kid so I am happy for him but he needs to be loaned out to get experience.

"

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.