Some might argue that it’s a good thing that Lionel Messi and co. won the 2022 FIFA World Cup since it would further strengthen the bond between soccer and popular culture. River Plate and Boca Juniors are the two most successful clubs in Argentina — between them, they have won 70 league titles.
Racing Club, the second-best team, has won the league title just 18 times. Though Boca Juniors and River Plate dominate Argentine soccer, other teams like Independiente, Vélez Sarsfield, and San Lorenzo have been on a roll of late.
It is pretty common now for teams to sell their top players to clubs abroad to fund their young academies or just acquire and develop the best players they can find in their country. Máximo Perrone, one of the pot’s treasures, has officially signed with Manchester City.
All of us are familiar with the way players change and mature under Pep Guardiola and his squad. This 18-year-old has a tonne of potential and is a great resource.
When he looks up, he sees Pep on one side and Lionel Scaloni on the other, both shining brightly in their direction. Argentinians see in Perrone an embodiment of all their hopes and dreams.
Scaloni should be persuaded by his play in the middle of the field with Rodrigo de Paul, Enzo Fernández, and Alexis Mac Allister. By the time of the 2026 World Cup, when Perrone will be 24 years old, he will be at the peak of his abilities.
Only a select few players get to train for four years with a classic before the World Cup. As a result of Pep’s boundless vigour and focus, Perrone is destined for explosive growth.
This scout report-style tactical analysis will delve into Máximo Perrone’s meteoric rise in 2022 with Vélez Sarsfield. The analysis will also go back to his earlier days to provide more perspective.
Player profile
Perrone is an adept left-footed midfielder who gives his all every game. It’s incredible that at age 19, he’s already led a few games for Velez. He’s a versatile athlete who’s tried out most positions in the game.
After rising through the ranks, his favourite position is now defensive midfield. Being a left-footer and in the pockets of the space, we could imagine how a technical player would suit in.
Máximo, born in Buenos Aires in 2003, started in the club’s infantile system in 15/16, then moved on to the juvenile division the following season.
The next year, 2019, he made his national team debut at the U16 level and then went on to excel in the prestigious annual French tournament, Mondial Football Montaigu.
Perrone has come a long way since making his professional debut against Estudiantes on March 6, 2022. Since then, he has started 11 of his 15 Primera League games, playing a total of 982 minutes.
CIES Football says that Máximo is one of the top 10 U21 defensive playmakers and ranks him as such.
Midfielders who are playmakers excel primarily in the defensive half of the game and in setting up plays. Their team-building skills are considered their biggest strength.
Since Perrone possesses the technical skills and the right frame of mind, he can do a good job in this respect. His ability to dribble and manage the ball is awe-inspiring.
Máximo is only 19 years old, but he has already become a top-tier player thanks to his high football IQ and natural ability to set the pace of the game.
Spatial awareness
He uses his body to protect the ball from defenders while dribbling in tight spaces. The only option he offers the defenders is to foul him, as his body is always a crucial part of his dribbling. This offers him the freedom that he’s now accustomed to.
His knowledge of his surroundings is a strength, as he seldom veers off of position to pull the man and utilise the sides of the field. He is on his toes at most times, wanting to be the first to react to any kind of event near him.
He’s the kind of player who loves the chance to get the ball in any situation, no matter how close the defender is or how small the space is. He does this to test his skills and find the best way to play.
Vélez was behind River Plate by a goal when Perrone took advantage of some disorganization in the middle of the field. He sees the gap in the structure and knows that two of his mates can cover it and back up his effort.
When just one opponent was there to mark two players, Perrone saw the chance to get in the triangle, as in the below shot. When the goalkeeper sends a ball his way, he cuts inside to collect it, freeing up space for his nearest teammate.
It took just a reception and a pass to defeat the front three. We may anticipate that this kid will be ready to destroy the front line and go on an all-out offensive.
With his lightning-fast feet and soft touches, he can sometimes move through a crowd without being noticed. In the middle of the field, while defenders swarm in from all sides, he draws a far larger crowd than anyone else could.
The above image was taken during a match between Estudiantes and his team, and it shows him scrambling to maintain possession of the ball in the pole area. The very thought of such a thing would be enough to drive most managers crazy.
However, Perrone seizes this chance to show off his nimble footwork by navigating his way around all four of the guys blocking his way.
His influence in the 2022 Argentine Primera División and Copa Argentina is seen in the preceding bar chart. His most effective carries have come well within the opposition’s half, especially in the final quarter. In total, he made about 31 deep runs into the attacking third, which is a lot more than a player in the middle of the field usually does.
Defensive mechanism
Defence is Perrone’s strong suit, as he does a good job of pressuring opposition midfielders who try to create a play from the back and closing passing lanes. By season’s end, he had an incredible 22 interceptions (almost 2 per 90).
When he combines his aggressiveness with careful planning, he gets a good chunk of this number. He keeps a tight eye on details like loose touches or loose balls, where he’d pounce on the opponent to swoop the ball back.
It is said that those who are born to play the game do it effortlessly. All right, it could be a little true. When Perrone is in the game, all we can see are his instincts. He lets his natural impulses guide him and begins to play it like a flute.
He saw a back-alley interception chance while up front and seized upon it to spark a counterattack. Perrone made a decisive play on offence shortly after a defensive play, with just six seconds between the two shots.
On rare occasions, he would be entirely out of the game when one of his untimely slide tackles left him down for a few seconds. The impact of his timely tackles on the game, though, is far greater.
The opponents were often caught off guard by his pickoffs. He would easily throw out his leg in the situation shown. He would make an interception to regain control of the ball.
In the game against Talleres Córdoba, he ditches his marker to cover his fullback teammate. His move out from the centre of the field to limit the winger’s freedom of movement paid off handsomely.
However, it’s also possible that he made an honest error and left the centre man unguarded because he misjudged the distance between the man and the central defender.
If a similar scenario played out in the Premier League, it’s much more likely to see noticeable differences in skill level between the players. So, his aggressive tactics or his decision to double down could help Pep’s team a lot.
Considering what Casemiro does for Manchester United right now, Perrone probably won’t be a better defensive player. But the qualities he would develop over time are attractive.
Undeterred and unruffled
To me, his inner calm is on par with that of Andres Iniesta and other exceptional midfielders. When his opponents have him cornered and trapped, he is at his most at ease. Sometimes, when he plays with it well, he can pick up new information.
The one and only thing he has amassed and perfected is the ability to shun those who would otherwise dispossess him. He takes a quick peek over his shoulder to get a sense of the situation.
A lot of the young stars these days are getting into this habit, but only the most astute players are showing this level of self-awareness.
Known for his contributions in the last third of the field from his position in the middle of the area, he has been likened to Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona and Federico Valverde of Real Madrid.
When he takes the first touch, he turns toward his own goal so that he may plan his next step—whether it’s to the left or the right—in advance.
When he does this, the opponent who presses gets stoked up and starts to run against him. He’d think it would be simple to steal the ball from him, but Perrone is so astute that he quickly spins around to exploit the enormous opening left by the pressure man.
Perrone’s involvement in beating the press is a morale booster for the squad. This allows the offensive side to create openings and make runs following the first wave of the press.
His range of vision and passing accuracy have been invaluable to a squad that has been struggling in the second half of the table. Because he can cover so much ground with a single, well-placed ball, his timely long passes into the box create a great deal of space for his teammates.
His deft lob passes, particularly in dangerous areas like the box, may be game-changers. Below, after some sloppy marking from the opposing side, Perrone draws in all the closest defenders and leaves space for his two teammates.
He made the most of every opportunity available to him in Argentina’s relatively underdeveloped league. There’s little doubt that the young player will have challenges adjusting to a new league and its system.
The below graphic shows us the progressive passes of Perrone in two of the major competitions. The number of arrows in the image seems to exist more in the third quarter of the pitch. Although we don’t have numbers on this one, the involvement on the pitch would define it well.
He’s not like Sergio Busquets, who plays quietly but is crucial to the team’s success. He’s the kind of player who likes to do a lot of different things.
Shown below is a picture of him giving the winger some depth as he dribbles inward. He advances to the right spot and then locates a low cross for his trailing teammate, who’s seen behind.
Any manager who thought about putting him in the role of the serious, quiet one would be making a terrible mistake. Keeping an eye on his skills, he should be all over the field, contributing in every way he can.
Conclusion
His position emphasises toughness, so he still has work to do to improve his game to the next level. And because he’s still a young player, he’ll need to work on maintaining consistency in his decision-making since he occasionally makes naive and reckless passing blunders.
Also, he sometimes plays too aggressively on defence, which leads to more fouls and yellow cards (13 yellows in 33 games). His reliance on his less-skilled right foot would also be a worry because it would make it harder for him to dribble and pass.
Máximo Perrone, to sum up, is a sneaky and creative midfielder with a lot of intelligence and will bring some exciting flavour to Pep Guardiola’s deep and dominant squad.
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