Current Analogue
The player
Arsenal · DM
power 8/6 · vertical carrying · ball winning
Open profile: Declan RiceRice's 2025-26 Arsenal role combined ball-winning (he led the squad for possession wins at the season's midpoint) with forward surges from a No 8 role and late runs into the box. Valverde has given Real Madrid similar two-way range, recovering possession and carrying from deep, and logged the most minutes in world football in 2024-25. The link is covering both phases, not matching output.
Valverde has often been used on the right, covering at right-back and, in 2022-23, playing as a false right winger, while Rice works from a central or left-sided base and adds elite set-piece delivery.