Ramiro Enrique – Banfield’s mobile attacking presence

Ramiro Enrique comes from a lineage of talented Argentine attackers, having Hector ‘El Negro’ Enrique as a father as the older Enrique played for Lanus and River Plate amongst others while becoming a World Cup winner with Argentina in the 1986 edition in Mexico. ‘El Negro’ would also win a Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental in 1986 in one of the best years of his life as Ramiro Enrique’s uncle, Carlos ‘Loco’ Enrique also played for the Albiceleste, winning a Copa America in 1991 as he was also a Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental champion at club level. His older brother, Fernando Enrique is a midfielder for Argentine Second Division side, Brown de Adrogue as his other brother plays rugby.

Ramiro or ‘Rama’ as he is more affectionately known is incredibly close to his father who he has seen as a more supportive mentor rather than a shadow looming over him as the 21-year-old is embarking on his own playing career. He came through the academy at Banfield, making his debut a year ago against Racing in February while in April last year when his club had a COVID outbreak, he would play for the Banfield first-team once more, in a more impressive outing against Estudiantes La Plata. He scored and would dedicate the goal to his grandfather who had recently passed exhibiting the familial ties that he holds dear. In 2022, with Banfield competing in continental competition, he has had increased opportunities in the Argentine Primera Division as he has become a starter at club level and one of a few impressive young strikers in Argentina.

Enrique is an outstanding striker in making runs in behind and runs into the channels, knowing when to hold his runs before picking the perfect moment to make a dart in behind to receive possession and have a goalscoring opportunity. The 21-year-old will move into the half-space zone in between the centre-back and fullback, constantly looking to make runs into the channels to provide a passing option for his midfielders while looking to stretch the opposition defence. If he receives possession in the wide areas, he has shown potential as a crosser receiving possession, using his body to hold possession up and look to lob crosses into the box. With his constant running in behind, he will need to improve his ability to finish 1v1 opportunities as with Banfield’s counter-attacking style, he will accrue a lot of high-quality opportunities from these situations. In between the lines, Enrique has the ability to drop deep and work one-touch passing interchanges while he can also utilize his dribbling and ball-carrying ability to manoeuvre into the box. He has sequences when he receives possession in the channels or in between the lines to use his body to shield possession from a marker, turn and surge into the box with immaculate close control as his dribbling could allow him to create shooting opportunities of his own or win penalties inside the box.

In Enrique’s stand-out performance to date, a two goal outing against Boca Juniors which proved to be the first brace of his career, he started the game by making a run in between two defenders into the left channel before gesticulating for the ball to be passed in front of him, as he received possession, muscled past a sliding defender as he drove into the box to cut past one defender, surging towards the top of the box, faking a shot to leave a defender on his back-side as he skipped past another defender and lost his angle, being forced to play a back-pass. With his ability to dribble, manoeuvre and create space for himself in the box, it will become integral that Enrique knows when to shoot to finish these dribbling sequences. The 21-year-old would get a shot on goal with his running in behind as he was playing on the shoulder of the last defender, arcing his body for a run in behind and gesticulating for a pass in behind as he made a perfectly timed run to receive a through ball, driving the ball into the box and placing a shot straight at the goalkeeper as he needs to be more precise in placing his shots in these situations.

Banfield are a counter-attacking side as Enrique’s ability to play on the shoulder of the last defender and make runs in behind allows them to transition at pace as after a defensive turnover, he would make a run from the left flank to the right to make a well-timed dart to receive possession in behind the opposition defence, driving into the box to have a shot smothered. The timing of his run was exceptional as when his teammate was releasing the ball, he was in the same line as the last man as he received possession in stride to have his goalscoring opportunity. The 21-year-old then made a movement from the nine-space to the right channel to receive possession, as he was standing a yard in front of his defender’s blind-side as the other centre-back was keeping him on-side, allowing him to maintain a vertical body shape to move inside to then make a dart behind his defender, to lob a pass into the box for Giuliano Galoppo to volley past the goalkeeper.

After another defensive turnover, he would make a run in behind, gesticulating for possession before the ball was switched to the opposite flank as Enrique continued his run into the box, gesticulating for the cross to be played in front of him to slide and guide the ball past the keeper with a one-touch finish. Moments later, the 21-year-old would score another, holding his position on the shoulder of the last defender to receive a through pass and hammer home as the Argentine attacker exhibited his ability as a one-touch finisher with two excellent goals. With his back to goal, he received a deep pass in between the lines to play a one-touch lay-off to a teammate before receiving possession once more to play another lay-off. Enrique moved into the wide areas for a throw-in, backing into a yard of space to receive possession before laying off for a teammate to send a shot wide. After receiving a deflection in his own half, he drove the ball forward to work a delicate pass for a teammate in between the lines to instigate a counter-attacking move.

At home to Barracas Central, he flicked on a long ball to a teammate before making a run into the left channel, driving the ball past a defender before being taken down in the box as he was not adjudged to have been fouled. Enrique then made a run into the right channel to receive possession and cut-back a cross for a tame shot at the top of the box. The 21-year-old dropped deep to receive possession before it was switched to the opposite flank with Enrique making a run into the nine-space to gesture for a pass in behind before moving to the left flank as he made a run back into the central spaces to get on the end of a cross, but his aerial opportunity was blocked. His constant movement, intelligent positioning in and around the box as well as his awareness of passing lanes and crossing lanes are phenomenal, allowing him to make well-timed movements into space to receive possession while he is constantly looking to receive the ball in space. In another sequence, he would push forward to isolate a defender in the nine-space before dropping deep and swivelling to make a run in behind for a lobbed pass which was too light and intercepted.

He dropped in between the lines to flick an outside of the boot pass to a teammate as he repeated the trick to chest down a long pass for a teammate. Enrique dropped in between the lines from the nine-space to receive possession in between the lines and lay-off once more as he is able to participate in attacking moves with his back to goal. The 21-year-old received possession in the channels, skipping past a teammate to drive into space as he cut-back to evade a second defender before losing possession. After a switch to the right flank, he made a double movement to make a run to the near post as the delivery wasn’t played to him as he decided to move outside the box, into the deeper central areas to receive possession and send a shot over the bar from range. Enrique will need to be more precise with his shot locations as he tends to take shots from difficult areas as there are games where he rarely has the opportunity to shoot from inside the box.

He notched a goal when he tapped in a rebound from a long shot, reacting quicker than the opposition defenders before he received possession on the left side of the box, cutting back with his first touch to leave a defender on his back-side before having a shot blocked. At home to Union de Santa Fe, he exhibited brilliant movement to consistently provide passing options for his teammates, making a run into the box when the ball was played into the wide areas before dropping deep to receive possession at the top of the box. He then shifted to his defender’s blind-side, looking to make a run in behind but moving back onside and occupying another centre-back in the nine-space, dropping back before looking to make a run to receive possession in the channels but the pass was played too late and intercepted. The variety of movements that Enrique can make to occupy a defence and defenders as he is talented at moving into space from crossing situations as well as constantly threatening with runs in behind.

Enrique would score by making a run in behind as team broke on the counter-attack, making a run in behind as he slowed his feet, allowing the defence to catch up with him while gesturing for the ball as a cross was played for him to hammer home with a one-touch finish. The 21-year-old dropped deep to receive possession as the ball was played to a teammate in the same zone as him for the Argentine striker to accelerate for a run in between the two centre-backs as his teammate played a lobbed pass for him which was too heavy. Enrique would drop into an onside position after being offside once again, occupying a position in between the two centre-backs before making a run into the half-space to receive possession on the left side of the box where he was tackled. These runs are a staple of his game, constantly looking to make circular runs around the centre-back and darts into the half-space as Enrique offers so much with his running in behind as he is consistently stretching defences and providing penetrative passing options for his teammates.

Enrique made a movement to the left channel to receive possession, cut inside on his right foot and lob a cross into the box which was punched away by the goalkeeper. He made another run in behind to receive a lobbed pass, holding off two defenders to lay a pass off to a teammate who sent a shot straight at the goalkeeper from range. After a turnover, Enrique dropped back into an onside position once more before doing his trademark ‘point’ for a run in behind, receiving possession and lashing a strike home. The 21-year-old was making a run on the counter-attack in between two opposition centre-backs with a teammate driving the ball forward from the left flank as he moved around one of his markers towards the back-post with the ball-near centre-back pushing forward to engage the man as Enrique was looking to move back into his original area to receive possession and have a clear-cut opportunity on goal. In another sequence, he was positioned in the left half-space when the ball was switched to the right flank for Enrique to make a run towards the near post for a cut-back opportunity as the cross was played behind him.

Away to Tallares Cordoba, he was consistently threatening with runs into the channels as he never received possession in the early stages of the game. He then had a tame shot from range saved while his movement inside the box was intelligent, but he did not have a proper delivery played to him. His timing was uncharacteristically on a different wavelength to his teammates before the attacker was eventually moved to the right wing in the second half. At home to San Lorenzo, he received possession on the left flank, cutting inside to have a shot saved from range. In a crossing situation, he would tuck inside from the left flank with the right sided centre-back marking him as Enrique made a movement towards the near post before stopping his feet, allowing his defender to push in front of him before gesturing for the ball in the centre of the box as he made a run for a cross that was blocked. He led the pressing phase as his team forced a mistake as Enrique received a direct pass in the nine-space, to work a pass for a teammate to drive the ball into the box before he was tackled as Enrique regained possession.

Enrique moved from the right half-space to the nine-space, making the movement from an offside position before dropping into an onside position as a teammate in between the lines received possession for the 21-year-old to make a run in behind as the ball was played into the left channel for the defender to clear. After a ball was played to the left winger, this triggered the striker accelerating for a run in behind while gesturing for a cross which was played in front of him. He could have made a double movement towards the back-post where he could have received possession in more space and had a shot on goal as he was positioned by the near post. Enrique received the ball in the right channel, flicking the pass past his man to drive the ball into the box before he was tackled. Enrique was positioned in the ten space before making a run towards the back-post where he received a cross to head the ball back across the face of goal. A teammate drove the ball forward from the right flank for Enrique o back into a yard of space at the top of the box to receive a cut-back and have a shot saved.

Away to Estudiantes, he was constantly threatening the run in behind despite not receiving possession while he was making double-movements to receive crosses in space but not receiving accurate deliveries. He finally had a good opportunity from a crossing situation, mis-directing a header to send it wide as he received possession in between the lines to work a pass for a teammate who was brought down. In games where he doesn’t score, Enrique is constantly gesturing for the ball to be played in front of him, holding his runs while also making his signature movements to the half-space and darting in behind to no avail. The 21-year-old has played just over 1000 minutes this season with 6 goals from a 4.08 expected goals number as he ranks 4th for Argentina’s new batch of U21 strikers. He has only taken 27 shots this season as he plays in a counter-attacking team with a 2.42 shots per game which ranks 16th for U23s in Argentina as only 9 of his shots are from outside the box. He ranks 25th for touches in the penalty area and 30th in touches in the penalty area per 90 for all players in Argentina according to WyScout ranking data.

Enrique is still developing as a striker as his biggest asset is his ability to run in behind as he is akin to Cerro Porteno’s Robert Morales with this facet of his game. The timing of his runs is excellent, holding his run till the last moment to burst in behind and receive possession or angling his body in such a fashion that he has the advantage over his centre-back to make a run in behind. He will also drop deep to swivel and make a run in behind as it is not only about his movement on the shoulder of the last defender as he has an innate sense of when to accelerate in the deeper positions to get in behind his defender as this can be triggered by a player receiving possession. His trademark point in front of him allows him to consistently communicate to a teammate when and where he wants the ball as he prefers a pass to be played in front of him, so he can run onto possession. Another of Enrique’s greatest strengths is his ability as a one-touch finisher as most of his 6 goals have come with a one-touch finish as this allows him to receive the ball from a variety of angles and body shapes to finish with aplomb. The 21-year-old is intelligent with his movement from crossing situations as being a one-touch finisher allows him to be effective in crossing situations and in high quality shooting situations within the box.

Enrique has the potential to be an effective chance creator with his constant runs into the channels, being able to receive possession and lob crosses into the box. He can operate as a lone-striker or in a front two as his movement in the channels, constant runs in behind and occupation of opposition defenders are applicable in both one striker and two striker systems. He will need to add some efficiency to his dribbling sequences, evading markers to create shooting opportunities for himself as this can be done with occupying areas in the half-space, receiving possession to cut past a defender and fire shots at goal. He will need to occupy areas where he receives possession in 1v1s and only has to beat one defender to generate shooting opportunities for himself. Even in his more lacklustre outings, Enrique still offers a threat with his runs in behind and into the channels while he can be a proficient striker if he combines his wide array of tools as well as improving his ability in finishing 1v1s.

Enrique currently has a contract until the end of 2023 as in 2022, his focus should be on increasing his playing time, improving his finishing while adding some consistency to his game. He is one of the leading young strikers in Argentina as the country has a wide batch of young attackers embarking on the early phases of their playing careers. With some experience in South American continental competition, teams like Rangers and Celtic should be interested while Brighton and Hove Albion who may lose Danny Welbeck next summer should be interested despite loaning Simon Adingra to Union Saint-Gilloise. Norwich City should also be interested in the youngster as should Southampton while in Belgium, teams like Anderlecht, Genk and Club Brugge should also be interested in the striker. In La Liga, Real Valladolid, Rayo Vallecano, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad and Mallorca should be interested in the attacker. In the Eredivisie, Ajax would provide a unique opportunity to grow with his combination play while developing in a more attacking system, providing a crucial stepping stone. In the Bundesliga, Stuttgart, Eintracht Frankfurt, Wolfsburg, Borussia Monchengladbach and Hoffenheim would also be good places for him to grow as he would suit the demands of that league. The 21-year-old’s career is off to an encouraging start as he is an attacker with a unique skillset who could fetch Banfield a hefty fee on the current market.