Alexander Isak

D.O.B – 21/09/1997 (Age: 21)

Height – 6’2” (190 cm)

Nationality – Sweden

League – , Spain

Current club –

Preferred foot – Right

Position – Striker; Centre forward

SCOUT REPORT –

Alexander Isak’s rise to the top of his game came last season when he moved to Real Sociedad from . The big Swede is a strong presence for any team upfront due to his physique and ability to read the game with ease. At only 21, Isak is now one of La Liga’s hottest strike properties and has played a key role in keeping La Real in line for a European spot.

He is a traditional old-school No.9 with the ability to transform his game to help out fellow wingers and by dropping deep between the lines and follow through with key passes. Isak likes to take defenders head-on by making unpredictable runs through defences that leave them helpless due to his quick acceleration and steady pace, outrunning defenders in a blink of an eye. However, his decision making in the final-third can certainly do with some improvement as he sometimes tends to be a bit wasteful with the finalization of passes. His athletic physique makes it hard for defenders to mark him, making it easy for him to take advantage of set-piece situations from corners and free kicks.

So far, this 2020/21 La Liga season has seen him play to the best of his abilities. With adequate support from the wingers around him and the midfielders behind, Isak can focus much more on banging in goals when it matters the most.

PHYSICAL ASPECT –

Standing tall at 6’2” (190 cm), Isak’s imposing presence gives an additional advantage to Real Sociedad’s attack due to his ability to take on defenders without fear. The opposition find it hard to contain his movements because of his quick acceleration and pace, along with his physique that allows him to shrug off defenders in one go. He has a good header of the ball due to his tall reach and poses great threat through set-pieces.

ATTRIBUTE RATING –

Attributes Rating

Passing 7.5

Finishing 8.0

Dribbling 8.0

Speed 8.5

Tactics 7.5

Heading 8.0

Endurance 7.5

Physical 8.5

Crossing 7.5

Defending 6.5

Overall 7.5

Potential 8.5

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES COMPARISON –

Here is a small comparison of Alexander Isak’s most desirable qualities and certain weaknesses he can build and improve upon -

STRENGTHS – WEAKNESSES –

 Athletic & imposing presence  Defensive contribution

 Aerial ability; threat from headers  Weak left foot

 Fearless ability to take on defenders head-on  Potential to improve his work rate

 Quick pace & acceleration

 Good ball control

Mikel Oyarzabal

D.O.B – 21/04/1997 (Age: 23)

Height – 5’9” (181 cm)

Nationality – Spain

League – La Liga, Spain

Current club – Real Sociedad

Preferred foot – Left

Position – Left winger; Inverted winger (Attacking )

SCOUT REPORT –

23-year-old Oyarzabal is one of La Liga’s brightest attacking prospects with his flair and attacking skills. His presence in the La Real squad has turned the team into one of La Liga’s most thrilling teams in 2020/2021. Oyarzabal is a tricky winger capable of doing damage from any of the attacking positions up front, including as an attacking midfielder or a support striker, who can rake in the assists. He also excels as an inverted winger and often does so by drifting out of his traditional left wing role, sometimes even dropping in deep to assist the central midfielders. His clever style of play involves swift movements that help exploit open channels, leading to potential goal scoring opportunities. Arguably, his greatest asset is his spatial and positioning sense that allow him to be an exceptional threat to defences – especially without the ball. While he may not be the strongest and most powerful player out there, the winger’s technique and skill on the ball more than makes up for his lack of imposing presence. He has scored 12 goals already this season, with ten of them coming in La Liga, along with 6 assists across all competitions. Ever since his first appearance for Real Sociedad, coming through their youth ranks, Oyarzabal has gone on to make more than 200 caps and scoring 60 goals for the club The -born attacker has the potential to become one of the world’s best wingers with his skills, technique and flair on the ball.

PHYSICAL ASPECT –

The Spaniard is 5’9” (181 cm) and although his presence is not as imposing as it seems, defenders find it hard to handle his movements due to his quick movements and ability to involve in transitional play very easily. His aerial and heading abilities are not his strongest points, but he certainly can improve those points in the coming years with additional effort and training. When he combines his determination and skill, Oyarzabal is very well capable of becoming one of the world’s best wingers.

ATTRIBUTE RATING –

Attributes Rating

Passing 8.5

Finishing 8.0

Dribbling 8.5

Speed 8.0

Tactics 8.5

Heading 6.5

Endurance 7.5

Physical 7.5

Crossing 7.5

Defending 7.0

Overall 8.0

Potential 8.5

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES COMPARISON –

Here is a small comparison of ’s most desirable qualities and certain weaknesses he can build and improve upon -

STRENGTHS – WEAKNESSES –

 Technique; on-the-ball movements  Defensive contribution

 Exceptional positional sense  Reliance on left foot

 Team work; pressing ability  Aerial threat & heading abilities

 Usefulness in counterattacks; seamless transitional play`

 Pace, acceleration & ball control

Christian

D.O.B – 21/05/1992 (Age: 28)

Height – 5’5” (168 cm)

Nationality – Spain

League – La Liga, Spain

Current club – Real Sociedad

Preferred foot – Right

Position – Right winger; attacking midfielder

SCOUT REPORT –

The Real Sociedad No.7 is one of La Liga’s most underrated players, mainly due to his ability to go unnoticed during matches – but always making a difference. The 28-year- old is a fast paced right winger who prefers playing on the right side of the pitch, delivering pin-point crosses, most of which have translated into goals. He excels most right behind the main striker, providing defense splitting passes, some of which are combined with good dribbling runs. His accurate passes serve the team with confidence to knock the ball around in the final-third – keeping possession - as is the playing style of La Real.

Portu can easily transition between his traditional role as a right winger and as a support striker/attacking midfielder in the center of the pitch, as a supporting arm for the main forwards. However, he struggles sometimes to make key decisions that may have well translated to better goal-scoring opportunities. Nonetheless, he is a key factor in Real Sociedad’s pressing style of play where they try to squeeze the ball out of the defenders and hit on the counter attack.

The 28-year-old has regularly appeared for Real Sociedad since moving from Girona in 2019. Overall, he has capped more than 70 times for the Basque club, scoring 13 goals and registering 12 assists in the process.

PHYSICAL ASPECT –

At only 5’5” tall (168 cm), Portu’s is one of Real Sociedad’s shortest players, but nonetheless he is one of the club’s most agile and physically strong players too. Portu’s fast-paced game play along with his physique permits him to take on opposition with quick pace and acceleration. However, he struggles to win aerial duels due to his short stature, which makes him a liability during set-pieces.

ATTRIBUTE RATING –

Attributes Rating

Passing 8.0

Finishing 7.0

Dribbling 8.0

Speed 8.0

Tactics 8.5

Heading 6.5

Endurance 8.0

Physical 7.5

Crossing 8.5

Defending 6.5

Overall 8.0

Potential 8.5

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES COMPARISON –

Here is a small comparison of Alexander Isak’s most desirable qualities and certain weaknesses he can build and improve upon -

STRENGTHS – WEAKNESSES –

 Team player; crossing ability  Weak left foot

 Agility; quick movements  Aerial ability; threat from headers

 Defensive contribution; pressing

 Pace & acceleration

 Presence of mind

David Silva

D.O.B – 08/01/1986 (Age: 35)

Height – 5’7” (170 cm)

Nationality – Spain

League – La Liga, Spain

Current club – Real Sociedad

Preferred foot – Left

Position – Attacking midfielder; left winger/midfielder

SCOUT REPORT –

David Silva is an already established legend, who has the ability to change the face of any match. Silva is a game changer whose technicality is unparalleled. Very few possesses the ability to read the game like he does, with utmost grace and composure. His excellent first touch, combined with his dribbling ability and quick acceleration makes him an instant threat against any kind of opposition. He does his best in teams that prefer a counterattacking style of play – contributing with his electric pace and unmatched ability to pick out key passes. But, now at 35, he does equally well in teams adopting a possession-based style with continuous passes and breaking up defences with constant movement on the ball.

Although he serves primarily as a left winger/midfielder, he tends to prefer the playmaker role behind the main forwards. His versatility allows him to be deployed in several offensive positions upfront – sometimes even as a deep-lying central midfielder. Arguably, his main asset is his skill to control the tempo of the match by being constantly involved in build-up play.

Silva’s intelligence in the final-third has come about to rank him as one of this generation’s greatest ever players and one of the best midfielders in Premier League history with Manchester City. This season, after his move back to Spain with Real Sociedad from Manchester City, Silva suffered with a hamstring problem that sit him out for 6 weeks. Nonetheless, he has appeared 17 times all season, scoring once and assisting twice – registering 1,222 minutes across all competitions.

PHYSICAL ASPECT –

David Silva’s physique is not his greatest strength, but he uses it to the best of his abilities to fulfil his role in the team. He is agile, fast and creative in tight spaces for his stature. At only 5’7” tall (170 cm), Silva is weak at winning aerial duels and heading abilities from set-pieces such as corner kicks and free kicks. Now, he is 35 but still possesses good stamina for his age to play out large durations of matches.

ATTRIBUTE RATING –

Attributes Rating

Passing 9.0

Finishing 8.5

Dribbling 9.0

Speed 8.5

Tactics 9.0

Heading 6.5

Endurance 8.0

Physical 7.5

Crossing 8.5

Defending 6.5

Overall 8.5

Potential 8.5

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES COMPARISON –

Here is a small comparison of David Silva’s most desirable qualities and certain weaknesses he can build and improve upon -

STRENGTHS – WEAKNESSES –

 Vision  Reliance on one foot; weak right foot

 Dribbling, on-the-ball movement & close  Stamina control  Defensive awareness  Balance & positioning  Aerial ability; heading  Ability to decide matches; team player

 Professionalism

 High level of experience

Ander Barrenetxea

D.O.B – 27/12/2001 (Age: 19)

Height – 5’8” (178 cm)

Nationality – Spain

League – La Liga, Spain

Current club – Real Sociedad

Preferred foot – Right

Position – Inverted winger; attacking midfielder

SCOUT REPORT –

The Spanish youngster is one of La Liga’s upcoming superstars, Andrea Barrenetxea’s has huge potential to become one of Spain’s best homegrown talents. The 19-year-old is an agile winger who tends to operate on the opposite side of his preferred foot. As an inverted winger, Barrenetxea’s pace and acceleration combined with his ability to squeeze out opportunities in tight spaces, makes him a great threat to defenders, especially full backs. He possesses good balance on the ball while dribbling, but his movements off-the-ball during few phases in matches can be somewhat of a liability for Sociedad, as he tends to drift in centre midfield – as opposed to his winger role.

Barrenetxea’s tactical awareness and attacking incisiveness makes him a great asset for any team. He can combine his speed and strength to inflict great damage to defences by opening up the lines with his attacking runs and key passes. Perhaps, if he can improve his set-piece abilities and pose a threat with his goal scoring abilities in the final-third, Barrenetxea can turn out to be a great goal scoring midfielder capable of changing score lines.

This 2020/21 season, he has played 26 matches – scoring just two goals across all competitions. This statistic certainly has room for improvement if Barrenetxea makes an effort to be more decisive and incisive with his final touches.

PHYSICAL ASPECT –

Barrenetxea is certainly not the most imposing player in the Real Sociedad team. However, he makes up for his lack of height with a strong physique that enables him to function as a winger with great ease – with his low centre of gravity and strong close control, making it easy to make swift movements on the wings. He is only 5’8” tall – his stature makes it easy for him to be quick with is pace and acceleration.

ATTRIBUTE RATING –

Attributes Rating

Passing 7.5

Finishing 6.5

Dribbling 7.5

Speed 7.5

Tactics 7.5

Heading 6.5

Endurance 7.0

Physical 7.0

Crossing 7.5

Defending 7.0

Overall 7.0

Potential 8.5

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES COMPARISON –

Here is a small comparison of Ander Barrenetxea’s most desirable qualities and certain weaknesses he can build and improve upon -

STRENGTHS – WEAKNESSES –

 Dribbling & close control  Positional sense and movement during matches

 Balance & positioning  Set-piece abilities

 Defensive awareness & contribution

 Comfortable with his left foot

 Skill moves

Martin Merquelanz

D.O.B – 12/06/1995 (Age: 25)

Height – 5’7” (176 cm)

Nationality – Spain

League – La Liga, Spain

Current club – Real Sociedad

Preferred foot – Left

Position – Left winger; attacking midfielder

SCOUT REPORT –

Martin Merquelanz is a fast left winger with quick acceleration and keen eye for key passes. His greatest asset is his ability to squeeze opportunities out of set-pieces, as he tends to deliver pinpoint crosses with his curving long passes. Merquelanz’s attacking abilities are further given a boost with his good sense of positioning and long range shooting abilities, which possess a great threat to goal keepers. He can muster out opportunities in a split second, but is also sometimes guilty of being wasteful in front of goal.

The transitioning of play between defense and attack sees Merquelanz don a role that provides him the opportunity to receive the ball and carry it forward with his commendable dribbling skills with decent pace. He is not the fastest of the team members, but has enough pace to outrun defenders with his technical style of play.

This season so far, he has made 9 appearances in La Liga and 12 appearances overall in all competitions.

PHYSICAL ASPECT –

Merquelanz is a lean attacking winger standing tall at 5’7” (176 cm). He is athletic and possesses good sense of spatial awareness, which allows him to move quickly amid challenges. Due to his comparatively short stature, he does not have good aerial and heading abilities. But nonetheless, Merquelanz is an agile winger.

ATTRIBUTE RATING –

Attributes Rating

Passing 7.5

Finishing 7.0

Dribbling 7.5

Speed 7.0

Tactics 7.5

Heading 6.5

Endurance 7.5

Physical 7.0

Crossing 8.0

Defending 6.0

Overall 7.0

Potential 8.0

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES COMPARISON –

Here is a small comparison of Martin Merquelanz’s most desirable qualities and certain weaknesses he can build and improve upon -

STRENGTHS – WEAKNESSES –

 Shooting ability  Incompatible right foot

 Balance & dribbling  Aerial ability

 Threat from set-pieces; freekicks & penalties

 Team player

Carlos Fernandez

D.O.B – 22/05/1996 (Age: 24)

Height – 6’1” (185 cm)

Nationality – Spain

League – La Liga, Spain

Current club – Real Sociedad

Preferred foot – Left

Position – Centre forward; attacking midfielder

SCOUT REPORT –

The ex-Sevilla forward has a playing style that allows him to feature as a lone-striker, supported by players behind him. He is tactically intelligent and possesses a natural talent to position himself in areas where he can feed of key passes and convert them into goals. His off-the-ball movement is as, if not more, pleasing than his on-the-ball technique. When his ball technique merges with his aggressive character – to take defenders head-on without a second thought, Fernandez is very much capable of inflicting huge damage to oppositions.

The forward is a clinical striker who always seems composed infront of goal and rarely flinches when the opportunity arises. However, the 24-year-old can improve his way of working when it comes to regaining and retaining possession with the ball at his feet. He is naturally best suited for a role with a second strike partner who can complement his football abilities by playing in and around the 18-yard-box, as he does best in high pressure and tight situations.

This 2020/21 has seen Fernandez appear very sporadically for Real Sociedad, appearing just 11 times and scoring none in the process. When used rightly and given enough playing time, Carlos Fernandez can pose the ultimate threat in any match due to his finishing, positioning and ability to involve actively in passing build-ups.

PHYSICAL ASPECT –

Carlos Fernandez is a tall and strong forward who has the ability to make an impactful difference with his physique against opponents. The 6’1” stature of Fernandez allows him to impose himself on defenders, especially during in-the-box situations and set-pieces such as corner kicks and free kicks. When on the ball, he is difficult to shrug off and off the ball, defenders find it hard to mark him.

ATTRIBUTE RATING –

Attributes Rating

Passing 7.5

Finishing 7.0

Dribbling 7.5

Speed 7.0

Tactics 7.5

Heading 6.5

Endurance 7.5

Physical 7.0

Crossing 8.0

Defending 6.0

Overall 7.0

Potential 8.0

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES COMPARISON –

Here is a small comparison of Carlos Fernandez’s most desirable qualities and certain weaknesses he can build and improve upon -

STRENGTHS – WEAKNESSES –

 Compatible weak (right) foot  Crossing ability

 Finishing; in-the-box threat  Acceleration

 Dribbling; ball control

 Vision

 Strong physique & character

Jon Bautista

D.O.B – 03/07/1995 (Age: 25)

Height – 5’9” (180 cm)

Nationality – Spain

League – La Liga, Spain

Current club – Real Sociedad

Preferred foot – Right

Position – Centre forward

SCOUT REPORT –

Bautista has remained in the Real Sociedad squad as a substitute for a long time now, playing second fiddle to main striker Alexander Isak, who shows no signs of sowing down. Nonetheless, Bautista is a talented striker capable of delivering damage to defences if given enough space and support from the midfield. He is a traditional No.9 who likes to roam around the 18-yard-box, waiting for the ball to meet his right foot.

The Real Sociedad No.25 likes to give timely runs and receive assists in tight areas. Bautista possesses great agility for a player in his position with his light movement and quick pace. He has a good eye-for-goal and makes the most of his poaching qualities when given enough time to showcase his skills. His lack of match time in the Basque country might be a huge factor in hindering his development as a player. What might interest him is a move away, where he can be a regular starter and prove his abilities.

He is yet to start a match for Sociedad this season, having been used as a substitute 15 times this season. He has made a difference and an important contribution in the Europa League by scoring two goals, which have been the only goals he has scored all season – going scoreless in La Liga.

PHYSICAL ASPECT –

Jon Bautista possesses a strong physique as a centre forward that helps him stay stable when challenged and tackled on, especially in the final-third. His physique at 5’9” (180 cm) gives him good agility – with steady pace and quick acceleration – much required for a striker.

ATTRIBUTE RATING –

Attributes Rating

Passing 7.0

Finishing 7.5

Dribbling 6.5

Speed 7.0

Tactics 7.0

Heading 6.5

Endurance 6.5

Physical 7.0

Crossing 6.0

Defending 5.5

Overall 6.5

Potential 7.5

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES COMPARISON –

Here is a small comparison of Jon Bautista’s most desirable qualities and certain weaknesses he can build and improve upon -

STRENGTHS – WEAKNESSES –

 Typical box striker  Weak left foot

 Agility; quick movements on the ball  Indecisiveness

 Finishing; goal poacher  Defensive contribution

 Aerial ability

 Positional sense

Roberto Lopez

D.O.B – 24/04/2000 (Age: 20)

Height – 5’8” (178 cm)

Nationality – Spain

League – La Liga, Spain

Current club – Real Sociedad

Preferred foot – Left

Position – Attacking midfielder; left winger

SCOUT REPORT –

Roberto Lopez is a highly talented left-footed midfielder who has featured regularly for , making over 50 appearances and now plays for the first time, although he has lacked game time to prove his abilities. The Spain U-21 international possesses great talent and skill with his swift left foot, most recently impressing Spanish legend Xabi Alonso, who trained him during his days as coach of the B team.

Lopez has great shooting ability and is a smooth passer of the ball, who has no problem raking in the assists. His long-range shots are a threat from around the 18-yard-box as he tends to cut in from the right, dribbling past defenders in an attempt to bang one in the back of the net. While his primary role is that of an attacking midfielder, managers would want to use him as an inverted winger as that is where he does the most damage to opposition.

Roberto Lopez has found a lack of game time as his primary hurdle in proving his talented abilities. He has featured 15 times this season, scoring 2 goals and capturing one assist – in what has been a quiet season for the winger.

PHYSICAL ASPECT –

Standing strong at 5’8”, Roberto Lopez has a commendable physique that allows him to be as athletic as one can be. At only 20 years old, Lopez has huge room for potential to improve his already quick pace and acceleration. His low centre of gravity gives him to opportunity to dribble comfortably past opponents into positions where he can deliver quality assists to his teammates.

ATTRIBUTE RATING –

Attributes Rating

Passing 7.5

Finishing 7.5

Dribbling 7.5

Speed 7.0

Tactics 7.5

Heading 6.5

Endurance 7.5

Physical 7.0

Crossing 7.5

Defending 6.0

Overall 7.0

Potential 8.5

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES COMPARISON –

Here is a small comparison of Roberto Lopez’s most desirable qualities and certain weaknesses he can build and improve upon -

STRENGTHS – WEAKNESSES –

 Long-range shooting ability  Weak right foot

 Dribbling; close ball control  Positional play

 Strong physique

 Team player; unselfish