At 23, there may have been some expectation that Asier Illarramendi would have built up a bigger reputation outside of La Liga. But it isn’t too much of a problem, especially for Real Sociedad, as the Basque midfielder is one of Spain’s best kept secrets.
It would be careless to skip over the importance of Illarramendi in Spain’s U21 European Championship squad. The spotlight is rightly on Isco and Thiago, and to some extent Alvaro Morata; each of those players have stories going into this summer, with the Real Madrid striker staking a claim for a bigger and better position in European football.
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But Illarramendi didn’t just slot in and do a job in the midfield. Like Sergio Busquets at Barcelona, he tied the midfield and defence together. The obvious comparisons are to Xabi Alonso, with their movement, ability and even appearance sharing plenty of similarities. The truth is Illarra takes certain traits from each of these outstanding Spanish midfielders. He’s a player that understands the role of the holding midfielder, able to intercept, tackle and break up opposition play exceptionally well. Adding to that, his attacking play, notably his eye for a pass and distribution is absolutely magnificent.
Asier Illarramendi is the type of midfielder clubs build their teams around. He’s that good now and he’ll be that good in the future, which is why it’s a little hard to understand the story linking him with a move to Arsenal at this stage. Or, to re-word it, why it’s difficult to understand the story suggesting Sociedad would be willing to sell at this stage.
Real Sociedad are preparing for a season in the Champions League having finished fourth in La Liga. They were the most attractive Spanish side to watch last season – yes, even ahead of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and underdogs Malaga. At their very best, la Real are able to take apart any opposition, combining their pace in attack with the playmaking abilities of Illarramendi in the midfield. They were the first team to beat Barcelona last season when Tito Vilanova’s side travelled to the Anoeta, and they’ll replicate such feats once again this coming season. And Illarramendi will very much be a part of that.
But you can understand why Arsenal may have been looking around. In fact, you’d quite comfortably understand any major club’s interest in the Spanish starlet. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have been touted as possible destinations due to the player’s likeness to Xabi Alonso and even Xavi (maybe that’s why there’s some degree of willingness on Barcelona’s part to allow Thiago to leave). When so many clubs are said to be chasing Dortmund’s Ilkay Gundogan following the German’s outstanding season, Illarramendi, in theory, should represent a cheaper but equally capable alternative. The reported £10million fee is a little short, however.
Illarramendi’s current contract holds him to Real Sociedad until 2018. Importantly, there is little unrest from within for the team’s star names to look elsewhere ahead of next season. Antoine Griezmann, Carlos Vela and Inigo Martinez have collectively offered their support to the club one way or another, at least for one more season. Add Illarramendi into the mix and Sociedad know they’re sitting on a gold mine. Each of those players bar Vela came through club’s youth system. When Illarra decides to move on, Ruben Pardo, another youngster with a fantastic future, will step in.
Arsenal’s interest in the player is likely with the view to Illarramendi replacing Mikel Arteta as the team’s anchor. The Spanish youngster doesn’t have that frame and build that most would like to see in a Premier League holding midfielder, but he’s extremely robust and very capable.
Paired with another strong individual in the midfield, Illarramendi can dictate the play from deep and act as the team’s focal point, much in the way Alonso has done at Real Madrid and Xavi at Barcelona. As a defensive player, Illarramendi likes to drop deeper almost alongside the centre-backs to take in a better view of the game. It’s meticulous and it’s wonderful to watch, seeing a player of his age play the game with such a veteran outlook. You wouldn’t believe that he’s never played a Champions League game, nor would he look out of place in Spain’s senior squad.
Illarramendi will unquestionably be a superstar at both club and international level, and the major clubs across Europe will line up for him once they get a better glimpse of him in the Champions League (provided Sociedad make it past the qualifying round). He’s the current centrepiece for the Basque club. Regardless of how good they were to land fourth in La Liga, the youthfulness of the squad still came through and struggles arose. Illarramendi, however, was the constant and the undeniable best player in the team.
Would Illarramendi be a good signing for Arsenal?
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