After 18 months of waiting, news broke Wednesday that a possible No. 10 is on his way to Philadelphia.

Bořek Dočkal, a playmaking 29-year-old Czech Republic international, is reported to be getting on a plane to finalize a move to Philadelphia Union.

Sport Invest, the Czech sports agency that represents Dočkal, released a statement saying the No. 10 flew to the U.S. to undergo medical exams and finalize negotiations.

Bořek Dočkal odletěl společně se zástupci @SPORT_INVEST do Ameriky jednat o možném angažmá s týmem Philadelphia Union. Hráče ještě čeká lékařská prohlídka i jednání o finální podobě případného kontraktu. pic.twitter.com/hPaeIxNXFi — SPORT INVEST (@SPORT_INVEST) February 20, 2018

Sources from overseas indicate it is likely to be a loan. Dočkal’s current club, the Chinese Super League’s Henan Jianye, is reluctant to give up on the $9 million investment they made on the player just last winter, acquiring him from perennial Czech title contenders, Sparta Prague. The Chinese club had to be talked into the idea of a one-year loan and do not want to include an option to buy. They would like to freeze Dočkal’s contract during the loan, keeping the remaining two years in tact.

Dočkal, however, has no interest in returning to China. These factors will need to be ironed out during the final contract negotiations.

So what exactly would the Union be getting in Dočkal?

The attacking midfielder recorded 30 goals and 51 assists in 135 games during his time in Prague, spanning from 2013 to 2017. He also excelled in the Europa League, registering the most assists during the 2016-17 competition before moving to Henan Jianye.

But there is only so much you can learn about a player from the statistics.

A view from the Czech Republic

After the news broke, PSP reached out to three prominent journalists from Czechia who covered Dočkal during his time with Sparta Prague.

Karel Häring is the editor-in-chief of Czech magazine Football Club.

Jan Kaliba is the magazine’s co-founder and a reporter on Czech soccer.

Jan Vacek writes for the newspaper Danek Sport, a branch of the Czech News Center.

All three were gracious enough to offer some insight on the player.

The key qualities

After speaking with all three, one thing is clear.

Dočkal is exactly the type of player for whom the Union have been searching.

“He was definitely one of the best players in Czech league when [he] played for Sparta (and also quite important for national team),” Häring said.

Kaliba added, “He’s kind of a technical midfielder with very good passing, solid mid-range shooting. Right footed,” continuing, “For Sparta he was the key player, the one called a game changer as others relied on him to have the idea and the ability to make the final pass.

Vacek dove in a little deeper stating, “Dočkal is your typical offensive midfielder, No. 10. He is very creative and strong on the ball. He has great vision, a very good final pass and definitely can change the pace of the game.”

“He´s best in [in the center] of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 lineup. He can also play on the right wing, but can’t exploit his whole potential at this position. When he plays in Sparta Prague, he had freedom from coaches on the pitch. The best way to use Dočkal is just let him play,” added Vacek.

Häring also mentioned Dočkal’s ability to play on the right, but his best position is as a No. 10. When sporting director Earnie Stewart arrived in Philadelphia, he noted that while versatility is nice, it’s more important to have a player that can excel at one position. Dočkal certainly fits that mold.

It’s the Czech’s right foot that adds another dimension to the Union’s attack. Midfielder Haris Medunjanin was able to influence games with superb free kicks — but there were times when his left foot limited what the club could attempt. Dočkal can give the Union another avenue to explore on set pieces.

All three Czech reporters made sure to point how dangerous he was delivering corner kicks and free kicks. The question then becomes if the 5-11 attacking midfielder mirrors the 6-1 Bosnian too much, at the expense of a cohesive midfield unit. Both are on the taller side, and critics of both identify their technical expertise as the keys to their game. That sometimes correlates with a negative: pace. Medunjanin is probably the slowest member of the Union’s starting 11.

Would Dočkal’s addition exacerbate that problem in the heart of Philadelphia’s shape? Well, not necessarily. While not his strongest suit, Häring rates his pace at a seven out of 10. He also combines that with a solid work rate. “He is not the guy who would die on the pitch, I mean someone like [Gennaro] Gattuso. On the other hand, he is not lazy so I would give him 7 out of 10, or 7.5,” said Häring.

The extras

When discussing the characteristics he needs from his No. 10, Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin recently told me, “It’s maybe not the prototypical No. 10, the Carlos Valderrama or the Marco Etcheverry where they kind of play just one side of the ball. They kind of stay in the center circle and only attack.”

He continued, “We don’t have the luxury of just having a completely free player on the field, a free No. 10.”

Curtin’s need for a defensively responsible No. 10 is based more in pragmatism than anything else. Medunjanin and captain Alejandro Bedoya need to be on the pitch. That need prevents Curtin from fielding a true defensive midfielder. Because of this, he asks his No. 10 to help shield his defense.

Unfortunately Häring, Kaliba, and Vacek all identified defense as one of Dočkal’s biggest weaknesses.

“He isn’t good in defense,” Vacek said. “When his team is under pressure, it’s a very difficult time for him, and he can’t really help. He doesn’t like defending too much.”

Häring added, “He was criticized sometimes for his lack of effort toward defending, but the offensive numbers were always overwhelming it.”

That last clause might be all that matters. If Dočkal produces, Curtin might not mind living with a “free No. 10.”

There was one issue on which the three Czechs were divided. That’s Dočkal’s mentality.

“The biggest issue of Dočkal, from my point of view, is his moodiness,” Vacek said. “He can play great, but also terrible… you mostly know after 15 minutes of the match. Dočkal is also impulsive, talks with referees or the opponent. It’s not difficult to poison him and get him out of game.”

Vacek continued, “He can be very angry on teammates also, if they make some mistake. Some players suffered it very badly in Sparta [Prague] or the Czech national team…”

Häring offered this on the subject: “He is a type who does not hide himself on the pitch and can take responsibility, but also can lose his head sometimes (some arguments with referees).”

Kaliba painted a different picture. “He has the image of quite the thoughtful soccer player, even off the field,” Kaliba said, “no scandals as far as I remember (off nor on the field).”

All three echoed praise of Dočkal’s mentality in one regard. “When the mood is good,” Vacek said, “he can be the true leader of the team.”

Dočkal seems to walk that same line the great Cristiano Ronaldo treads on the field. They both have that passion not only for the game, but for winning. It can sometimes come off as petulant or arrogant, but it seems to stem from a place of leadership, accountability, and a true desire to win.