Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde can become one of the world’s best.
In the 2019-2020 season, Fede Valverde emerged as a key player for Real Madrid. By the end of the season, Valverde was a regular part of the rotation, having established himself as a key part of the team’s defensive efforts in September. His appearances in the lineup led to several clean sheets, as Los Blancos rebounded from a 3-0 loss in Paris earlier that month.
Real Madrid will be known for their defense in the 2020-2021 season. Their back four of Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Sergio Ramos, and Raphael Varane might be the best in the world, and the same praise can be lofted on their keeper Thibaut Courtois, who had a higher percentage of clean sheets than anyone else in La Liga.
But praise should also be given to the midfield. In addition to defensive midfielder Casemiro, Fede Valverde has been crucial to Real’s success as a unit. Zinedine Zidane makes sure Real defends as a team, and with his tireless coverage and pressing, Fede exemplifies this.
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A perfect box-to-box midfielder for Real Madrid, Valverde scored two goals and recorded four assists in the 2019-2020 La Liga season.
He accumulated these statistics in fewer than 1,300 minutes played, though his game went beyond the measurable numbers due to his running, ball progression, recoveries, and constant pressing.
Valverde was at his best in the biggest games, such as rivalry matchups with FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Physical teams like Atleti found it difficult to face Valverde, whose pace and work rate made him a kryptonite to them.
In 2020-2021, Madridistas can expect even more strides from Valverde, who is only 21 years old.
The center midfielder can be part of an ideal midfield trio with Toni Kroos and Casemiro, and his running can enable Kroos to receive more space to play passes or move forward to take shots of his own. He can increase the productivity of his teammates, including attackers like Eden Hazard.
It’s easy to see why Zidane and other key decision-makers at Real Madrid love Valverde so much. He is the epitome of a team player and is so well-rounded. His speed and technical quality make him an asset in the attack, and it is the latter of those traits that must be praised as well.
Both of Valverde’s goals were finesse shots from outside the box, struck in a manner that likely made Kroos proud. As Valverde’s game advances, so will his goal contributions. He will continue to get into dangerous positions to help others, and his assist total, in particular, could jump as Zidane transitions Real to an increasingly counterattacking style of play.
Next season, five assists could be the floor for Valverde, who will continue to show La Liga fans why he is becoming one of Europe’s best midfielders.