I think there are two things here. Acceleration and top end speed. A good example is Igor. His acceleration looks very poor but once he is up to top speed, he can keep up with most players.
Centre back is a difficult position for a youngster to fill. This lad is 5 (five) years younger than Jan Paul van Hecke. It could be quite some time before we see him. He may even go the way of Roberts and Tsoungui. No guarantees. I’m prepared for a long wait with this one.