THE RISE OF ÁNGEL ALARCÓN.

Having recently signed a new deal till 2025, Ángel Alarcón seems to be the name on everybody's mind. The 18-year-old, a part of the promising 2004 generation which has already gifted the main team Pablo Gavi, has been valued highly by Barcelona who have set his buyout clause at 400 Million Euros. Ángel has even impressed Xavi, managing to be constantly called up to the first team squad this season & making his debut against Ceuta in the Copa del Rey. Given his increased involvement and eventual promotion to the first team, let's analyse his play style & determine his potential.

PLAYER PROFILE:

Name: Ángel Alarcón
Position: Centre Forward / Wide Forward

Age: 18

Preferred Foot: Right

ALARCÓN'S STYLE OF PLAY:

Dynamic, explosive, physical & clinical. Perhaps these four qualities best define Ángel's abilities in a blaugrana shirt.

DYNAMIC:

Versatility has been Ángel's greatest asset. Slotting right into any position across the channels in the attacking third, the forward constantly creates chaos by interchanging positions. An interesting aspect of his game which makes him so dynamic is that the forward likes to be constantly engaged in proceedings, but he can still be sharp without getting too involved. This makes him a constant threat, dormant or active. Furthermore, be it his constant movements inside or forward, he is notorious for creating spaces for his teammates to progress the ball into the final third.

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 EXPLOSIVE:

Several times over the past couple of seasons, Alarcón has been tasked with the challenge of maintaining the width out wide. When deployed in wide areas, the Spaniard has heavily relied on his ability to push past defenders with the ball. He has on multiple occasions shown great acceleration partnered with swift dribbling abilities to escape tight spaces and make his way towards the goal. His reading of the game also enables him to make runs in behind the defence, leaving the defence chasing shadows owing to his explosive nature. While these runs in behind benefit the team in wide positions, the 18-year-old has the most impact when playing through the centre. Silent movements into the box see him receive the ball in areas from where he can easily take shots.

PHYSICAL:


To thrive as a striker, it is extremely important for one to be able to play with their back to goal. For that, physicality is a requisite. Ángel Alarcón possesses plenty of it. The well-built Spaniard isn't afraid to put his body in between the ball & defender to win fouls. Even while receiving the ball, Alarcón manages to hold his own under immense pressure and lays the ball off successfully or pushes past the defender. His intimidating physical presence in the box & constant movement make him hard to mark for the opposition. Aerially, too, he is hard to mark despite not being the tallest.



CLINICAL:


A striker donning the Blaugrana can never hide behind the veil of fear. Luckily, Alarcón doesn't. Fearless in nature, the striker is always ready to take a shot on target. He doesn't require a lot of touches to set up a shot and whenever he finds himself in space in front of goal, more often than not, he launches for goal. This characteristic of his has seen him find the back of the goal for the U-19s consistently & earned him a reputation.



OUT OF POSSESSION:


Being trained in La Masia has seen Ángel develop with a sense of responsibility, even in defence. During defensive transitions, the striker is always seen quickly falling into the solid defensive structure and fight to win the ball back. Even when the opposition is building from the back, Alarcón is always involved, pressing the centre backs to win the ball back. He is also attentive to opportunities which may open up on the counter. His defensive work rate too seems to have impressed Xavi.



SO, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE STRIKER?


An intelligent striker who understands how to exploit space, if nurtured to his strengths, Alarcón has a bright future. His explosiveness teamed with his clinicality in front of goal make him an asset who could prove to be an integral part of Xavi's new era in the near future. For the moment, he will continue to work with Barcelona B & improve on his already strong assets.

Alarcon has renewed his contract with Barcelona till 2025.