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Outside of Real Madrid, many still consider Fede Valverde to be a promising young talent. However, it may be a surprise that the Uruguayan is already 25 years old and is spending his sixth season in Madrid, having already captained the Uruguayan national team and aiming to captain Real Madrid soon. His achievements and honours often go unnoticed.
Last season, before the New Year, when he scored 9 goals, calls for broader recognition began to emerge, even prompting Toni Kroos to tweet that Valverde is the “third best midfielder in the world”. Despite his slump in goalscoring, Valverde’s evolution this season has placed him firmly in the global elite. He has become an essential element of Carlo Ancelotti’s tactical plan.
The Madrid Fans Are Impressed
Even Madrid fans may not have noticed the progress in creativity and forward passes. Valverde ranks 9th among all midfielders in the top 5 European leagues for passes into the final third of the pitch and is in the top 10 in La Liga for penetrating and advancing passes.
This year, Carlo Ancelotti has been praised for optimising his team’s strengths rather than sticking strictly to a system. He has adapted the team’s strategy to his players, resulting in Valverde taking up a position when defending in the centre of the pitch rather than on the right wing where he previously played. This strategic positioning allows Valverde to utilise his exceptional ball skills and break through the lines, as evidenced by his record-breaking long passes.
Evolution
Valverde is involved in more than just defensive exits and vertical passes in his new role. His number of touches and pass attempts has increased by almost 20% compared to the last three seasons, indicating his growing influence on the team. The stark contrast in his actions in the defensive 1/3 of the pitch emphasises the significant change in his role. Ancelotti effectively utilises Valverde in a ‘false right-back’ role while the team has the ball, favouring the promotion of Dani Carvajal higher up to the right winger position while Valverde provides cover.
His role in defence allows him to showcase and utilise his speed and ability to recover quickly from spurts, make long passes, and come out of defence with the ball, allowing Ancelotti’s team to utilise his best qualities.
This season has not only emphasised his best qualities that we previously knew about but has also brought new layers to his game, and his overall passing game has been given new recognition. Valverde’s penetrating passes have increased by 114% compared to his previous three seasons, and his passes over 40 metres have increased by over 103%. This statistical surge emphasises Valverde’s evolution, combining his innate dynamism with strategic precision.
Madrid fans have witnessed Fede Valverde peak this season, and he is one of the best midfielders in the world. Ever since his Real Madrid career began, he has had to fight for a place in the sun with the best players in the world. Whether it was Modrić or Kroos or the arrival of Tchouameni and Kamawinga, there was always a reason to try and get him out of the line-up. Competition hasn’t taken its toll on Valverde. Instead, he has changed his game several times and developed into a fully-fledged centre midfielder.
