Victor Valdepenas is the very profile of a modern defender.
The 19-year-old Real Madrid academy product made his debut for Los Blancos before Christmas under Xabi Alonso, having come through the club’s youth ranks the long way around – and with former Castilla boss Alvaro Arbeloa now at the helm, will be hoping for further opportunity at the Bernabeu.
But with the likes of Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund linked, let’s delve into a two-minute scout report on the teenager and how he excels…
So… who exactly is Victor Valdepenas?
PROFILE
Name: Víctor Valdepenas
Position/s: Centre-back, left-back
Age: 19 (Born: October 20, 2006)
Nationality: Spain
Height: 1.88m (6ft 2in)
Preferred Foot: Left
Current Club: Real Madrid
The Arsenal links are obvious when it comes to Valdepenas: the Spaniard is a centre-back/left-back hybrid that Mikel Arteta adores. Think of a Riccardo Calafiori-type defender: a tall, strong defensive presence that you rarely find in a teenager, able to use his pace and physical prowess in a defensive duel or bombing up the pitch.
Comparisons are also there with team-mates Antonio Rudiger and Federico Valverde. Valdepenas boasts the kind of power that makes him perfect for defending channels, he can strike a ball with venom and should he develop a little more positionally, he could well be an option in midfield one day.
Valdepenas’ strengths
Physical profile: At over 6ft tall and with supreme strength, Valdepenas is a physical anomaly. He has dominated in youth football and is deceptively speedy, too, underpinning his potential as an Arteta-style wing-back or a Van de Ven-style recovery centre-back. The fact he’s left-footed makes him all the rarer, ‘n’ all.
Engine: Valdepenas’ stamina is clear. He can make repeated sprints across 90 minutes, making it all the easier for him to bridge the gap between youth and senior football without adapting his game too much when he makes the step up.
Ball-striking: One of the more underrated aspects of his game, Valdepenas’ ‘heavy‘ shot has been compared to Fede Valverde. Not the first thing you look for in a centre-back, but certainly a bonus for a full-back who spends his time around the opposition box.
Mental resilience: Having been released by Real once already, Valdepenas went to Leganes and forced his way back to the Spanish capital two years later. He’s certainly resilient, and the focus he showed after a costly mistake on his debut only bodes well, too.
Versatility: With a fairly complete physical profile – and having played at centre-back and left-back as a teen – Valdepenas has shown he’s fairly adaptable. Moving him to defensive midfield probably isn’t too much of a stretch in the long run.
Valdepenas’ areas of development
Technical refinement: Valdepenas is secure on the ball, but his physical prowess far exceeds his technical ability. That’ll probably only come from exposure to top-level gegenpressing juggernauts putting him under that kind of pressure regularly. He has an angle bias towards his left foot, too, that will need refinement in time.
Focus: Valdepenas’ La Liga debut showcased that he has the mental fortitude for the top level, but retaining concentration at the elite is a big step up for any player who’s only played a single game of senior football. It will come, and it isn’t a massive concern.
Crossing: While the youngster has solid ball-striking, developing the kind of whip that could really make him an asset as a full-back is surely something he’ll be working on, wherever he ends up.
