Unveiling Fede Valverde’s Remarkable Evolution: More Than Just a Midfield Dynamo

Outside Real Madrid circles, it seems that many still view Fede Valverde as a promising young talent. However, it may come as a surprise to note that the Uruguayan is now 25 years old, in the midst of his sixth season with Real Madrid, and has already become the captain of Uruguay, with a trajectory set towards captaining Real Madrid. His achievements and accolades have often flown under the radar. Last season, before the new year, when he scored 9 goals, calls for increased recognition began to emerge, even prompting Toni Kroos to tweet that Valverde is a “Top 3 Midfielder in the World.” Despite a current dip in goal-scoring, Valverde’s evolution this season has firmly positioned him among the world’s elite, becoming an essential element to Carlo Ancelotti’s tactical blueprint.

Ancelotti has tailored Valverde’s role this season, assigning him to deeper areas of the field to leverage his strengths and unveil a skill set not traditionally associated with his dynamic, “box-to-box” style. Valverde has proven to be much more than a mere workhorse; his performance as a creative and vertical passer is particularly noteworthy.

Even those within the Madrid circle may have overlooked the enhancement in his creative and forward-passing abilities. Valverde ranks 9th among all midfielders in the top five European leagues for passes into the final third and is among the top 10 in La Liga for through-balls and progressive passes.

FBREF – Opta

Carlo Ancelotti has been praised this year for optimizing his team’s strengths rather than adhering strictly to a system. He has adapted the team’s strategy to his personnel, a shift that has seen Valverde taking up positions in the defensive and middle thirds, rather than on the right wing where he previously played. This strategic placement allows Valverde to exploit his exceptional ball-carrying skills and break lines, as evidenced by his all-time high ball-carrying distances.

FBREF – Opta

In his new role, Valverde’s involvement goes beyond just ball carrying and vertical passing. His touches and attempted passes have increased by nearly 20% compared to the last three seasons, indicating his growing influence in the team. The stark contrast in his touches from the defensive third to the final third highlights a significant shift in his role. Ancelotti has effectively utilized Valverde in a “false-right-back” role while the team are in possesion, facilitating Dani Carvajal’s advancement as a right winger, while Valverde provides cover. His role in “rest defense” (refers to how a team organizes defensively when they have possession of the ball) showcases his recovery speed, long-range passing, and ball-carrying ability from deep positions, allowing Ancelotti to capitalize on his best qualities.

Not only have his best qualities been accentuated but there are new layers to his game and a newfound recognition to his overall passing game. When compared against his previous three seasons, Valverde’s through-ball passes are up 114% and his switches of play over 40 yards are up over 103%. This statistical surge underscores Valverde’s evolution, blending his innate dynamism with strategic precision.

Madrid fans are witnessing peak Fede Valverde this season and he is one of the best midfielders in the world. Since his Real Madrid career began, he has had to fight and claw against the best players in the world to try and secure a starting spot. Whether it be Modric or Kroos, or the arrival of Tchouameni and Camavinga, there has always been a reason to try and shift him out of the lineup. The compeition has not gotten the best of Valverde, instead he has morphed his game mutliple times over and has now transformed into the complete central midfielder.