The Best U23 Strikers in LaLiga2
With the winter transfer window open and the summer transfer window incoming, clubs are beginning to scout the best young players who are showing signs of potential. This is a data analysis to find the best U23 strikers in La Liga 2 that will be fought over in the summer.
The data metrics we will be looking at are:
- Goals
- Key Passes/Assists
- Aerial Duels
- Dribbling
Furthermore, all the wingers in the charts have more than 400 minutes under their belt this season.
We will begin by forming scatter plots of the data metrics mentioned beforehand, to find the level of the center forwards aged 23 and under, compared to the rest of the strikers in the league. In this manner, we can identify how they are performing and decide which strikers clubs should be keeping an eye on. Later, we will find the best strikers depending on how they perform in the scatter plots and we will look at each one individually.
Goals
Strikers are often counted upon to get high numbers in goals as that position often is the one that is closest to the opposition’s goal.
Key Passes + Assists
Center forwards are not usually expected to have high numbers in key plays and expected assists, nonetheless, with the modern use of forwards in the modern world, there are some exceptions such as false 9 strikers.
Aerial Duels
For center forwards, it is important to be able to win aerial duels as when needed, their team will probably play in long and they are counted upon to win those duels to be able to attack at the defense.
Dribbling
How many dribbles a center forward attempts and completes can tell us his profile as it means that he is more agile and looks to carry out these actions.
Results
In our final results, we can observe that the best strikers U23 in La Liga 2 are Jon Karrikaburu of Racing Santander, Joaquín Panichelli of Mirandés, and Iván Azón of Real Zaragoza.
Name: Jon Karrikaburu
Position: Center Forward
Country: Spain
Age: 22
Height: 183cm
Preferred Foot: Right
Current Club: Racing
Context: Karrikaburu came through the ranks of Real Sociedad and with the limited amount of first-team minutes has left on several loans to Leganés, Alavés, Andorra, and now Racing.
Karrikaburu has shown so far that he is capable of getting into goal-scoring positions with high xG values, however, he hasn’t been able to convert them into goals yet. In addition, he ranks highly for xA and key passes showing that he is not a limited forward on the ball either and can help create chances as well. Nonetheless, he does show doubts when it comes to his aerial ability with quite a low success rate.
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Overall, despite his capacity to win aerial balls, Karrikaburu is being a decisive player for his team and if he can start converting his xG to goals, he will become one of the best center forwards in the league. With the recent signing of Óskarsson at Real Sociedad for a hefty fee it will be hard to see him get minutes at the club, which makes him an opportunity for other clubs lower down the table in the summer.
Name: Joaquín Panichelli
Position: Center Forward
Country: Argentina
Age: 22
Height: 187cm
Preferred Foot: Right
Current Club: Mirandés
Context: Panichelli was brought up through the ranks of River Plate and was signed by Alavés in January of 2023 on a free transfer, with the limited game time he would have seen if he had stayed in the first team, he is on loan at Mirandés this campaign.
It is clear that Panichelli’s most important attribute is his aerial ability where he is one of the best center forwards in the league in this remark, averaging more than 10 aerial duels per 90 with a success rate in excess of 50%. In addition, he shows that he is able to get into goal-scoring positions averaging 0.4xG per match, meaning he should almost be scoring a goal every other game and this season he has so far scored 13 goals.
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Furthermore, he has also shown the ability to generate chances as well as not being deficient in his dribbling which tells us that he can also have the ball at his feet and be comfortable.
Overall, Panichelli is having a remarkable season at Mirandés and with Alavés having lost Omorodion after his loan ended last season and with an ageing Kike García, he will surely feature in next season’s Alavés side whether or not they remain in the first division.
Name: Iván Azón
Position: Center Forward
Country: Spain
Age: 22
Height: 182cm
Preferred Foot: Right
Current Club: Como
Context: Iván Azón began his career at Real Zaragoza and after featuring in the first team for 5 years, Como from Italy have decided to spend €2 million this January for his services.
Just like Panichelli, Azón also stands out as being an aerial prowess despite his height, averaging more than 10 aerial duels per 90 with just short of a 50% success rate. Furthermore, he has shown the ability to score goals and regularly appear in positions where he will have higher chances of getting the ball in the back of the net with more than a 0.4xG per 90.
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Also, his dribbling is quite effective showing that he is also capable on the ball and does not only resort to his aerial ability. As well as that, he is able to produce key passes frequently telling us that he can also appear as a playmaker rather than just a scorer.
Overall, Azón has been great this season for Zaragoza with 7 goals so far in the league, and Como is getting a great player who is adaptable and can perform well in several tactical systems though we will see how he adapts to another league and another country.
By: Juan Fernandez Valencia / @ScoutLaLiga
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / NurPhoto