Analysis: Aitor Pérez, the next great winger from La Academia? | OneFootball

It had been a long time since I last stopped by to talk about our young talents. And it was about time for an update, first because there is material and content to share; and second because there is clearly more and more support and interest in The Academy, which we celebrate enthusiastically.

Let’s start with Óscar Parejo, a left-back and center-back in equal measure for the Juvenil B, who was recently crowned MIC Football champion once again in the U-18 category. Then there was Adrián Martínez, right-back for the Juvenil A, whose growth has been so exponential that he has already logged minutes with Atlético de Madrid C in the Tercera RFEF. After that came Guillermo Trujillano, currently the top scorer for Juvenil B in the Liga Nacional and for Juvenil A in the División de Honor, with 18 goals in total. The latest was Sergio Vinatea, a striker for Atleti C and also involved in the Youth League with the Juvenil A. 

This time it is another attacker’s turn. One from even younger age groups than those already mentioned. But football does not understand age, and that is exactly what seems to be happening with Aitor Pérez, who months ago amazed everyone alike. He was the best player for the Cadete A in the Messi Cup held at Inter Miami’s facilities in the United States, contributing important goals and high-level plays that left all the spectators impressed.

You could not put it better: a “Messi-like” player, or however one prefers to describe it. Personally, I hate comparisons and I will not be the one trying to find similarities—if I were a journalist for other clubs whose marketing departments idolize their players, I would say he is the future white Doku or something along those lines—but I will say this: those of you reading these lines should remember his name. Every year he is one of the best players on his team, and that has been the case ever since he joined The Academy in 2020 from CD Leganés to play for the Alevín B.

This season he has 4 goals in 21 matches. He scored 10 in the Cadete División de Honor the previous year, 5 in the Infantil Superliga, 6 in the Infantil División de Honor… these are not ‘top’ numbers. But does that really matter, or serve as a measure of a player’s talent? Allow me to say absolutely not. Aitor is a generational talent, the kind you fall in love with at first sight because he is exactly the type of player that stands out in a football world that is scripted and systematized, where freedom is becoming increasingly rare.

Aitor Pérez is a right-footed winger who usually plays on the left side of Atleti’s attacking phase, that is, on his opposite foot. He has good associative ability, he is a team player, but where he stands out most is in 1v1 situations. He especially shines when attacking the spaces behind opposition defenders thanks to his great speed, acceleration, and ability to explode from a standing start in just a few seconds. As a very short winger, his low center of gravity makes him feel unstoppable when running or even when carrying the ball. He likes to play in few touches, showing flashes of quality such as backheels and other eye-catching but, in his case, effective resources; he moves between the lines like a fish in water and is unpredictable at times. He can cut inside as many times as necessary, and he will usually get his way in the end.

He is not a natural dribbler by profile, but that does not mean he lacks great ability in 1v1 situations, as mentioned just a few lines ago. Anyone who watches him play knows that he can start out wide, asking for the ball to feet, and beat several opponents with astonishing ease because his technical quality is special and he uses it to create advantages. He can start inside and finish outside, he can make diagonal runs attacking the space between the center-back and full-back, he can begin out wide and finish through the central lane either to drive into the opposition box or to switch play to the opposite flank. And in transitions he is lethal, because opponents see a tiny devilish whirlwind coming at them and the only way to stop him is by fouling him. 

On the right he is similar, although personally I find him more comfortable on the left. He is capable of standing still and suddenly playing two one-twos that leave his opponents rooted to the spot, just as he can accelerate and slow the tempo to change direction; he is slippery… I insist, Atlético de Madrid have a gem in their academy that is continuing to be polished as the years go by. He was unable to lift the MIC U-16 trophy, as he was knocked out by Roma, but he still finished the tournament with 8 goals and 8 assists.

15 years old, huh? But mentioning his age is not meant to show our readers that there are highly talented players at increasingly younger ages, but rather that he will turn 16 in August, and that means only one thing: the possibility of renewing his ties with Atlético de Madrid and signing his first professional contract. We will be keeping an eye on it, but if there is one thing I do know, it is that his name is marked in bright red on the red-and-white agenda as one of the emerging talents to keep in mind for the future.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.