Rodrigo De Paul 2019/20 – scout report

The versatile 25-year-old Rodrigo De Paul has turned into a leading figure for Udinese since his arrival. He quickly turned into one of the favourites and proved he deserves a starting XI spot. And he hasn’t disappointed. He is without a doubt the best performer for the club, although their overall performance is poor. They need to improve in a few areas if they want to stay away from the relegation zone in Serie A.

The midfielder already has the interest of  Inter and Milan and it won’t be a surprise if he parts ways with Udine this summer. This might hit hard on the team’s ambitions and completely ruin their performance since De Paul is one of their most consistent performers.

Udinese are performing very poorly in attack, and De Paul often turns out to be their saviour in crucial moments. The Argentina international has scored five of the team’s 21 goals this term and assisted two more.

This scout report aims to use tactical analysis to show how important is De Paul for Udineses tactics and why any of the top table clubs might suit him better.

Attacking flair and final third impact

The team’s goal scoring record doesn’t reflect all the hard work De Paul puts into their attacking actions. He most frequently puts effort into delivering for his teammates. Udinese though struggle in the final phases and lack a good finishing touch, hence De Paul’s actions often go to waste.

His abilities to provide great through balls and carry his way past defenders make a key part of the team’s strategy in the final third. Although his main position is in central midfield, he quite often exploits the half-spaces and the areas around the box. This positioning is key for being able to provide well-measured passes and create chances. He provides 5,79 passes to the box on average, but the lack of strong work under pressure and good finishing often result in missed goal scoring opportunities.

He can also be a direct threat since his dribbling skills help him in reaching the best position for a shot. His dribbling is often crucial for the team’s build-up and advancing the ball, that’s one of the reasons why he gets fouled often.

In the times there’s no opportunity to deliver the ball further, he tries to bypass the press by sending long balls. Or even better, he demonstrates his decision-making with his quite frequent shots from distance. His sense of timing and confidence often result in outstanding long shots which leave the opposition defence completely helpless.