With Kieran Tierney and Javi Galán returning to their parent clubs and Diego Rico joining Getafe on a permanent transfer, it was clear that Real Sociedad needed to sign a left back this summer. Imanol Alguacil even had to play 22-year-old Venezuelan defender Jon Aramburu – a right back who typically plays for the B team – as the starting left back due to their issues in defense. However, La Real may just have solved their problems at left back with the arrivals of Sergio Gómez from Manchester City and Javi López from Alavés.

Name: Javi López

Position: Left Back

Age: 22

Country: Spain

Height: 183cm

Preferred Foot: Left

Last Club: Alavés

Javi López began his career in Alavés’ academy and he joined the first team in 2021. In his last two seasons at the club, he has been a starter and had a lot of game time. Real Sociedad currently have Aihen Muñoz who has been injured for the whole season and recent signing Sergio Gómez at left-back, as both Javi Galán and Kieran Tierney left the club with the end of his loan spell at the club.

Real Sociedad are a possession-based side that like to dominate matches and can adapt to different match situations. They are also a team that like to press and perform counter-pressing so they like their defensive line high up the pitch.

Attack

In this image we can see that Javi López’s ability to cross the ball is mediocre as he has the least precision though it is true that he attempts many crosses per 90. This shows that he is a left-back that likes to get forward as he plays many crosses, nonetheless, his precision is an aspect that has to be improved. 

Alguacil demands his full-backs to get forward and support their wingers, and Javi López suits this style. From the video footage we can see that Javi López’s crossing is quite poor as he usually doesn’t put height on the ball, and if he does put height, it usually is overhit.

Here we can see that Javi López’s ability to progress the ball forward is quite poor as he has a low precision and a low number of forward passes attempted per 90. This is an aspect he must improve if he is to be a starter at Real Sociedad as they count upon their full-backs to progress the ball forward.

This image tells us that Javi López’s dribbling is mediocre as it is not as good as that of Javi Galán, nor it it worse than that of Aihen Muñoz or Kiernan Tierney. This shows us that he doesn’t have a very agile profile with the ability to dribble and although this is not a requirement, it is an aspect that adds value to his position. From the video footage, we can observe that Javi López’s dribbling is quite poor due to his big frame as he has low agility.

Offensive IQ

Javi López has a great understanding of the game offensively as he knows when and how to attack the space left by the opposition. 

Defense

From this image, we can deduce that Javi López has poor defensive capabilities as he has one of the worst success rates with the least defensive duels per 90. This aspect must be improved upon to be a starter at Real Sociedad as defending is an important aspect at top clubs, especially, when playing in European competitions when you are faced against the best players.

Defensive IQ

Javi López’s defensive understanding of the game is great and he knows when to step up to his player and when to stay put. When pressing, he is very good at keeping his man at bay and not letting him turn. In addition, even though he likes to get forward often he is able to track back and recover his position quickly thanks to his pace. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, Javi López can be a great signing for Real Sociedad if he can improve his crossing ability as he has a great understanding of the game and has good physical attributes. Furthermore, at only 22 years of age, he can improve his technical departments and be worth more than the €6.5 million they have spent on him. The question mark is how he adapts to a bigger team like Real Sociedad playing in European competitions as he is still very young and has only played one season at the highest level.

By: Juan Fernandez Valencia / @ScoutLaLiga

Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Ion Alcoba Beitia / Getty Images