Federico Valverde: The key to the Real Madrid engine room

While Luka Modric and Toni Kroos represent the heart and soul of Madrids midfield, Real Madrid are missing an engine to keep the train running. In recent years an influx of young talented imports have graced the Santiago Bernabéu stadium including Mateo Kovačić, Casemiro, Brahim Diaz and Martin Ødegaard. These transfers have needed time to settle and develop in Real Madrid Castilla or thrown straight into the first team. However, one talented graduate stood out and arguably brings a unique dynamic to a squad that is brimming with world-class talent: Federico Valverde.

Federico Valverde, or Fede as he is affectionately known, is an outstanding player bought from Club Atlético Peñarol in July 2016 after turning 18. Real Madrid were the front runners among the plethora of leading European clubs but he opted to join Los Blancos. The Uruguayan starred for the under-17 Uruguayan national team and dazzled Real Madrid enough with his performances to persuade them to pre-purchase him at 17 years of age.

Having joined up with Real Madrid Castilla B team, Valverde initially struggled to impose himself. However, he slowly became a mainstay of Santiago Solari’s side making 30 appearances and scoring three goals in his first season with the club. Nicknamed El Pajarito – the little bird – based off his running style as a child, Valverde has come a long way from the streets of Montevideo to the magical city of Madrid in such a short space of time.

After a season with Castilla and a loan spell at Deportivo La Coruna, Valverde was promoted to the fringes of the first team, but the 2019/20 season could become a career defying moment. With Zinedine Zidane back at the helm, Valverde will look to impress the Frenchman and cement his place in the first team. Zidane knows El Pajarito well from his time as Real Madrid Castilla boss but what can we expect from the Uruguayan?

Federico Valverde: Dynamic runner

Federico Valverde is a box-to-box midfielder who is involved in both the attacking and defensive phases of play. The Uruguayan’s biggest asset is his dribbling ability which allows him to find pockets of space to run into. Real Madrid do not currently have a midfielder with the Valverde skill set, making him a very useful asset to pick.

Toni Kroos and Marcos Llorente are masterful passers while Casimero is a midfield destroyer breaking up play. Luka Modric is the closest midfielder Real Madrid have to a box-to-box midfielder, but his strengths lie in dictating play and creating opportunities more than his running qualities. This seemingly hands Valverde the advantage over his teammates and an opportunity for Zidane to try something new in a stagnant midfield.

Fede Valverde’s heat map against Real Betis indicates his presence across the pitch. With 44 touches of the ball, the third highest after Modric (57) and Dani Carvajal (55), Valverde looks to become a willing runner and start attacks from deep.

What’s important to note from his touch map is the initial position. Having fewer touches inside the opposition area doesn’t necessarily mean he didn’t influence play further forward, but rather this could be attributed to more runs in the box.

The highlighted area in the opposition box of his heat map corresponds with this notion. He tends to interchange passes from a deeper position before making a run and interchanging passes in the final third. Having a midfielder that can play between the lines and look to make willing runs into the opposition half can help Madrid’s forwards by creating space for them to run into.