Real Madrid: 3 young players who will be crucial in title race
CM Fede Valverde
Like Vinicius Junior, Fede Valverde steps up in the biggest games, as he’s shown against Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong and multiple times against Atletico Madrid’s suffocating and physical midfield.
Valverde’s impact goes beyond the stat sheet, but the numbers are still pretty impressive. The Uruguayan averages 1.1 successful dribbles per 90 minutes compared to 0.3 unsuccessful dribbles, showing an efficiency that exceeds even Luka Modric’s, even though Modric is the lone center midfielder with more successful dribbles per 90.
A quality passer and an excellent defender, Valverde is second behind Casemiro in interceptions per 90 minutes, per WhoScored.com.
One of the best box-to-box midfielders in European football already, the 21-year-old Valverde has also shown excellent technical class. For example, he’s scored a couple of great goals from outside the box.
No duo can match Eden Hazard, Karim Benzema. dark. Next
Valverde can do it all in the center of the park, and his work rate to recover balls and start attacks can help the team win games. When he first emerged in the Fall as a key player, Madridistas were smitten with his ability to turn attack to defense. Valverde’s lungs and quick thinking could make him vital, especially since he’s one of those players who can find that something extra.