Oihan Sancet, just like Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, is one of those players who redefined their position, changing the expectations from them in games.
The Spaniard is a midfielder, but his impact on the pitch mirrors that of a striker, actually, one of the finest strikers, much like how Trent Alexander-Arnold operates with the vision and creativity of a playmaker despite being a defender.
Oihan Sancet, just like Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, is one of those players who redefined their position, changing the expectations from them in games.
Sancet, so far this season has found the back of the net 15 times in 24 LaLiga games, averaging 0.92 goals per 90 minutes, placing him in the 99th percentile amongst midfielders in Europe top five leagues.
While this is not an anomaly, it is his creativity that is concerning for a midfielder with world class potential. In the same league where he has scored 15 goals, Sancet has only assisted one goal for his teammates, yet, it is not as though they were wasteful of his chances.
So far in the season, the 24-year-old has created just 17 chances for his Athletic Club teammates, an average of 1.05 per 90. The quality of those chances are also questionable—none has counted for a big chance.
For expected assists, Sancet averages 0.12 per 90, placing him in a very low 12th percentile amongst midfielders in top five leagues, which is very alarming for a midfielder with world class potential.
But for all this shortcomings, the Spaniard make up for his goalscoring prowess. May be creating is not that important when you can literally score at will.
Oihan Sancet is the Trent Alexander-Arnold of Midfielders
Drawing parallels, Trent Alexander-Arnold has similarly redefined the right-back position. With 61 Premier League assists, he holds the record for the most by a defender in the league’s history.
Both Oihan Sancet and Alexander-Arnold exemplify a modern footballing archetype, players who go beyond their positional restrictions to influence the game in multifaceted ways.
Despite his shortcomings defensively, Trent Alexander-Arnold is still widely regarded as one of the best right back in the world, and Oihan Sancet could earn such reputation for himself as a midfielder with his goalscoring talent.
As the Spaniard continues to develop, his unique skill set positions him as a standout talent. His ability to blend midfield responsibilities with a striker’s finishing touch not only benefits Athletic Club but also sets him aside as special one in the game.
Oihan Sancet displayed a better creativity last season with 42 key passes in 1,991 minutes, an average of 1.89 per 90, and the hope will be that he is just having that one season of less creativity, with a return to the usual expected in the near future.
Linked with move away from the club in the summer, it remains to be seen whether a potential move will be down to his goalscoring prowess or the potential to improve his creativity, to have a midfielder who could do it all.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
