In a recent interview with Marca (translated by the Daily Mirror), former Spanish goalkeeper and Real Sociedad legend, Alberto Lopez shared his thoughts on the Spanish rising star Mikel Oyarzabal and said,
“I really rate him. I don’t think he has a lot of time left at Real Sociedad. He has so much talent and I think he could play in a great team like Chelsea and Liverpool.”
Oyarzabal’s Incredible Journey In Spanish Football
The 22-year-old began his playing career at Real Sociedad before he worked his way up the club’s youth system to feature for their B team back in 2015. Oyarzabal finally got a taste of first-team action in 2016, and he has been a real revelation for them since then.
The Eibar-born prospect has enjoyed a productive couple of years at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium as he put in a series of eye-catching displays for the La Liga outfit. The Spanish wonderkid made 41 appearances for Eibar last season, scoring 14 goals while providing four assists across all competitions.
Oyarzabal was also an integral member of the Spanish Under-21 team in the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championships as he helped his nation win the tournament last month. He has also earned two senior international caps for Spain and has registered one goal for them thus far.
What Are The Spaniard’s Strengths And Weaknesses?
Oyarzabal is highly versatile as he can operate on either wing positions or play as an attacking midfielder in the number 10 role. The Eibar star has decent pace and is a very penetrative dribbler with the ball out on the wide areas. He can make excellent driving runs behind the opposition backline which enables him to create some decent chances for himself in the final third.
Even though he is scoring a lot of goals, Oyarzabal needs to share the ball more often as his assist tally (4) was quite low last season. The Spaniard needs to create more opportunities for others around him if he wants to succeed at the highest level.
Should The Reds Move In For Oyarzabal?
Oyarzabal will be a good fit at Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp could be the perfect manager to make the most out of his talents. The La Liga whizkid has already proven his worth in Spain so a trip to Merseyside could benefit his career in the long-run. As for the Reds, they should consider listening to Alberto Lopez’s advice because Oyarzabal has the potential to become a world-class winger in the coming years.
