Federico Redondo – Argentinos Juniors’ deep-lying genius

Federico Redondo Solari is a young midfielder who has made constant headlines since he was in his early teens due to his father’s exploits in Europe as the news covered him when he played in a tournament organized by Club Atletico Tostado in 2017 when he was only 13-years-old. He has risen through the ranks at Argentinos Juniors, showing impeccable calm and grace to forge his own path at the club where his father, Fernando made his name, nonchalantly navigating the pressure that comes with his last name. When he made his debut against Tigre, he became only the second Spanish-born player to play for Argentinos Juniors while on his mother’s side, he had several relatives that had donned the gilded red Argentinos Juniors shirt. His uncles, Eduardo and Esteban Solari played for Argentinos Juniors while his grandfather, Jorge Solari was a coach at Argentinos Juniors.

Despite looking to carve out his own path, this endeavour has been made more difficult due to the fact that he plays in the same position as his father, dons the number 5 as he began to gain more playing time after the departure of Fausto Vera to Corinthians during the year. Redondo’s head is constantly on swivel, scanning and adjusting his positioning to receive the ball while he receives possession with an open body shape and a straight-backed physique to either play one-touch lay-offs before moving into space, shield the ball or play one-touch passes forward. He loves to string together attacking moves with short passing sequences before threading deep line-breaking passes in between the lines as he is essential in circulating possession and creating opportunities. Redondo stands out as he is hulking 6 foot 2 as he is the tallest player on the pitch despite being only 19-years-old as his size allows him to be effective at shielding the ball and regaining possession. His main weakness is his lack of pace as if he is ahead of an opposition player, he struggles to recover while he also struggles to cover large distances, especially when he is deployed as a box-to-box midfielder.

In the Reserva Division, away to Independiente, he covered space to regain possession, playing a one-touch pass in between the lines to a teammate before his team would lose possession in the build-up phase for the 19-year-old to recover quickly, closing down a passing lane to make an interception before looking to thread a through ball to the nine-space which was intercepted as Redondo reacted quickly once more to make a tackle. In the defensive phase, he used his body to regain possession before spreading possession to the wide areas as the defensive midfield controller is adept at covering small spaces, regaining possession with interceptions and tackles in 50/50 situations. Redondo was playing predominantly as a box-to-box midfielder as he dropped closer to the six-space in the defensive phase as the 19-year-old would receive possession, driving the ball forward and skipping past a defender to spread possession into the wide areas.

Redondo had a moment where he received possession in the six-space from his centre-back, poking a pass in between the lines with the outside of his right boot before he received a lay-off to play another one-touch pass in between the lines to evade pressure, taking three opposition attackers out of the game and allowing his team to drive the ball forward. The 19-year-old thrives in passing interchanges as his head is constantly on swivel, giving him an awareness of time, space and the positioning of his teammates which allows him to distribute the ball quickly and effectively on his first and second touch. From a throw-in, deep in his own half, he laid off a pass to a teammate, before receiving possession in a tight space, allowing possession to roll across his body, receiving the ball with his left foot before shifting possession to his stronger right foot and playing a pass to a teammate with perfect weighting and precision as the ball allowed his teammate to turn and burst forward on the counter-attack.

At home to Sarmiento for the Argentinos Juniors Reserva side, he was positioned in the opposition half in a pressing situation as he used his body to shield the ball from an opposition attacker and regain possession as he was hemmed closer to the touchline, flicking the ball to a teammate in the half-space before making a run to receive possession in the wide zone to evade markers. During a counter-attacking situation, he chased back to stretch his long leg to make a clean tackle as when he is positioned properly, he can use his size, strength and reading of the game to regain possession cleanly. Redondo had a moment which exhibited his artistry, genius and authority in the six-space as the ball was played back to the goalkeeper who played the ball to his left-sided centre-back as Redondo was positioned in the six-space, making a run to receive possession but scanning to create a good passing angle for his centre-back before he received possession with an opposition player pushing forward to press him as Redondo laid the ball off with his first touch. Redondo would scan to back into a pocket of space where he received possession once more, allowing the ball to roll across his body so he could face forward and play a line-breaking pass to the nine-space.

Redondo is clever and savvy at assessing when he has time on the ball and when he does not as in the latter situation, he would resort to laying the ball off as when he has time on the ball, he can turn and look to play the ball forward. Redondo is not quick and does not have the quickest feet but can mitigate this by using his body to shield possession and buy himself time when he is in possession as he received possession to play a one-touch pass to a teammate before making a run into a pocket of space in between the lines to receive possession, allowing the ball to roll across his body to shield possession from an opposition player before he would spin away from him, shielding the ball from a second opposition player to thread a pass in between the lines that his teammate was unable to receive. He dropped into the six-space once more to receive the ball, turning to lob a pass to the ball-far centre-back before making a run into a pocket of space in between the lines as he scanned and moved into the right half-space, demanding possession to play a one-touch lob to a runner over the opposition defence to square a cross for the striker to have a shot saved.

Moments later, he dropped into the six-space to receive possession once more, playing an accurate switch to the opposite flank. Redondo is at his best when he is in the six-space, receiving possession and orchestrating attacking moves as he constantly seems to be a few steps ahead of his opposition as he received possession as the deepest-lying midfielder, taking a touch and playing the ball to his centre-back as the ball was played forward before a back-pass was played to the right back who worked a pass for Redondo in the centre as the 19-year-old allowed the ball to roll across his body, pushing the ball forward with his weaker left foot before threading a pass in between the lines with his right foot. Redondo is so intelligent that when he lays the ball off or plays a sideways pass, it is not because he lacks options, but it is a precursor to an intelligent movement into a pocket of space and a deeper pass in between the lines.

Redondo was positioned in the six-space as he scanned and made a run into a pocket of space in between the lines as the ball was played to the right flank as the 19-year-old scanned once more and moved into a pocket of space before dropping closer to his centre-back to create a good passing angle as he received possession, laid off to his centre-back and gestured for the ball to be played into a pocket of space that he moved into in the right half-space as a deep pass was played in between the lines for the ball to be laid off to Redondo who played a one-touch lobbed pass for a runner in the channels. The young pivote would have an opportunity on goal from a free-kick as he received a delivery at the back-post for a one-touch flick which was cleared off the line. Redondo received possession from the goalkeeper to switch possession to the left flank. The 19-year-old received possession in the six-space to turn and drive the ball forward before switching another pass to the left flank.

Away to Patronato in the Argentine Primera Division, he received possession in the opposition half to turn and play a backwards pass to a centre-back, dropping deep before backing into a pocket of space where he received a lay-off to poke another back-pass to a teammate. After a turnover, he would turn and play a progressive outside of the boot pass to the nine-space to start a counter-attack as he received possession to play a lobbed pass into the channels. Redondo struggled in this game as he would attempt to dribble and drive the ball before being tackled while he could get caught out on counter-attacks. Redondo would get the start at home to Union as he began the game indifferently, attempting a reverse pass which was off target before he used his body to spin out of a challenge, attempting a lobbed pass for a runner. The 19-year-old showed the importance of playing on the first or second touch as he lacks pace as he received possession in a tight space, taking on the ball with the outside of his right boot to skip past an attacker but lost possession and conceded a counter, He then received possession in the six-space, taking a touch to play a disguised pass to the ten space.

Redondo’s constant scanning and the adjustment of his body shape before receiving possession is excellent as he is constant assessing whether he should move towards the ball to evade a marker with his directional first touch or allow the ball to roll across his body. Defensively, his positioning to make interceptions and use his body to regain possession is sound but there were instances where he was caught out with his lack of pace while in possession, his feet could be slow and laboured causing him to lose possession and concede counter-attacks. The 19-year-old would move in between the lines to receive possession, playing simple lay-offs while a pass was played in front of him for the youngster to stretch and poke a pass to the flank. He utilized his body to regain possession, battling with an opposition fullback to win an aerial duel which led to a counter-attack. The teenager received possession in the six-space to thread a pass to the eight space as there are moments where he can be too cute with possession as when he takes more time in possession, there is a higher chance of him losing the ball.

During a counter-attack, he moved into the nine-space to receive possession, holding off one defender before driving past a second to square a cross to the back-post which was tapped wide. In situations where he can use his body to shield the ball and buy himself time to make the perfect pass, he can increase his influence on the game as he received possession, skipping past a marker to drive the ball forward before laying off a pass to a teammate as he followed that up by switching a pass to the flank for a winger to drive the ball forward and cross. Redondo finished the game with an 83% pass succession rate, 58% in the final third and 4 interceptions. At home to Velez Sarsfield, Redondo came off the bench as he made a run into the right half-space to receive possession, controlling the ball with the outside of his right boot before threading a pass to a runner in the box with outside of his boot for a high-quality low crossing opportunity.

At home to Estudiantes, after a turnover near his team’s box, he skilfully skipped past an attacker to drive the ball forward as he attempted to evade a second man and lost possession. Therein lies the problem with Redondo’s game as he needs to look to beat a man to drive into open space and release the ball with a pass in between the lines to make his game more efficient. The teenage deep-lying midfield sensation received possession to drive the ball forward and spread a pass to the right flank for an attacker to drive into the centre and have a shot on goal. As the ball was played to his wide right centre-back, Redondo looked to make a run in between the lines and gesture for a pass before dropping into a pocket of space to receive possession, scanning over his shoulder to recognize an opposition attacker behind him before he pushed the ball forward and lasered an accurate line-breaking pass to the nine-space.

Redondo can facilitate press-resistant build-up interchanges with passing connections as well as his movement as he illustrated this by dropping deep to receive possession from the goalkeeper to take a touch, play the ball to the wide centre-back and make a movement into the half-space as he dragged an attacker out of position to create a pocket of space for another midfielder to drop into the six-space and receive possession. Redondo dropped into a pocket of space to receive the ball, but a pass was played in between the lines for a lay-off as Redondo made a movement into the eight space to receive possession as Argentinos Juniors evaded the press as the youngster was able to occupy his marker. In the opposition half, a pass was played behind him for the youngster to stretch his leg and prod the ball out of the path of an opposition attacker, using his body to shield the ball, working a one-two with a wide centre-back before receiving possession, allowing the ball to roll across his body and swivel to play a pass to the wide areas as he made a run into the half-space to receive possession and play a one-touch pass for a runner in the box.

Redondo regained possession in the pressing phase, pushing forward to close down a marker and using his long right leg to make an interception to regain possession for his team in the opposition half. The 19-year-old dropped into the six-space to receive possession from his centre-back with his back to the opposition goal, taking a touch and laying off a pass for a fellow midfielder before receiving possession once more to swivel and drive the ball forward before spreading a pass to the flank. Redondo can evade pressure and manoeuvre out of tight spaces with quick passing connections as these allow him to evade markers and turn his body to drive the ball forward. This is applicable to the build-up phase and the positional play phase as the way that he works these connections is akin to Sergio Busquets as this mitigates the time with the ball at his feet. He exhibited this in the opposition half when he received possession to play a back-pass for a pass that was chipped to the flank as he moved into the half-space, scanning before he received the ball so he could turn and work a pass to a teammate in between the lines before making a run into the central positions so he could receive possession, allowing the ball to roll across his body before taking a touch and playing the ball to the ten space before making a run into the box.

Defensively, Redondo moved in front of an opposition player at the perfect moment to make an interception, playing a pass to a teammate in the six-space before receiving possession and playing a pass to the 9 space which led to a connection for a teammate to be played into the channels. Redondo has the ability to contort his body to work passes to teammates on the swivel as he received possession in the wide areas to turn and poke a pass in between two defenders to a teammate. The 19-year-old’s ability to scheme and string together attacking situations with metronomic passing interchanges at the base of midfield as what makes him such a special midfielder to watch as he needs to lean into this aspect of his game more as it is simplistic and effective.

Redondo’s game is a manual for the modern-day pivotes as his constant scanning, adjustments and movement into space to receive the ball are so innate and intelligent. He is at his best when he is working one-touch passing interchanges to move into space, receive the ball and swivel to drive the ball as these passing interchanges mitigate his lack of pace and quick feet. He can also use his body to shield the ball from opposition players, buying himself time to swivel and play penetrative passes forward. When the game is flowing through him and he can control the pace by working backwards and sideways passes before moving into space to receive possession, the 19-year-old can string together patient, progressive and incisive attacks. He will need to manage his time on the ball as he can use his body, directional first touch and passing connections to evade the first man but it is integral that he releases possession after beating the first man as these are some of the situations where he can lose possession and lack the pace to recover.

Defensively, Redondo’s game is reliant on his anticipation, positioning and his ability to cover extremely small distances to use his body and long legs to regain possession in 50/50 situations. Redondo struggles in covering spaces over longer distances as if he is beaten in the counter-press, he struggles to recover to make a tackle unless a teammate can close down the opposition player in possession to force the opposition to slow down the counter and allow Redondo to move into position. In the defensive phase, he will most likely need a teammate next to him to help him cover the space as his lack of speed and mobility is the biggest concern with his game.

Redondo will need to remain with Argentinos Juniors for the foreseeable future as in Gabriel Milito’s system, he will gain the experience to improve his strengths and mitigate his weaknesses, especially out of possession. It is integral that he also experiences South American continental football in the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana, especially against more counter-attacking teams which would give him an opportunity to improve on his weaknesses. Redondo is still only 19 and has had a steady progression from the youth teams to the professional team thus far as he looked up to Fernando Gago and Juan Roman Riquelme as a youngster as in 2023, he should look to accrue more minutes and develop into a starter for Argentinos Juniors.