Manchester United are being connected with new players on a daily basis, but every now and then, there are some players being mentioned that are worth taking a more look at. When the websites start talking of Cristiano Ronaldo coming back to Old Trafford for a millionth time in the past few years, that gets boring. Mostly it is just nonsense, but when some other players are mentioned, then it could really be truth.
The media reports that Manchester United could be interested in Alvaro Odriozola might be truthful or not. We do not know that. What we know is that the Real Sociedad right-back has played some fine football over the past couple of years and it would be wise for United to at least monitor his progress.
Who Is He?
Alvaro Odriozola is 22 years old and has been part of Real Sociedad’s senior team for 13 months. In that period, he has already played 47 official matches in the blue-and-white striped shirt, scoring one goal and notching nine assists. He has also played for Spain’s senior team on two occasions, proving that Julien Lopetegui is watching him closely.
With Dani Carvajal being his direct competition for the position, it is not expected to see him actually play in more meaningful matches. Then again, it is a testament for Odriozola’s hard work and progress that he managed to enter such a high quality squad that Spain has at disposal.
Odriozola has made himself known for great technical ability, being a modern full-back. He is good at holding the ball in team’s possession and rarely makes mistakes. Indeed, his passing of 89.6 percent success rate only goes to prove how composed he is, as full-backs usually play in more congested areas, as they are limited by the throw-in line next to them.
His dribbling success rate of 62.2 percent shows that Odriozola is good at both getting forward and playing in tight areas. Though he often loses possession (1.2 per 90 minutes), that could be down to him taking risks, something that is very good for a player that wants to reach the top of European football.
Real Sociedad’s Brightest Potential
This season, Odriozola has been playing for a much poorer Real Sociedad side than last term. La Real have been knocked out of the Europa League round of 32, which could prove good for them. They are currently struggling in La Liga and should concentrate on improving in that competition, while Alvaro has most of the time been one of their best players.
Odrizola is also decent in crossing department. He completes around 21 percent of his crosses, which is decent for a player of a team sitting in 14th place in the league. At 22, he is bound to keep improving and so far Sociedad was a good place for that. They are known for giving space to youngsters. Odriozola played the most minutes of all Sociedad players in La Liga, while Mikel Oyarzabal as right winger is also catching eyes of bigger clubs.
It remains uncertainty how much of a chance could Odriozola actually get if he would become Manchester United player in the summer, but he has shown he has a lot of potential. If United would be able to get him for a lower price than expected, then that could be wise move for the future.
Leave a Reply