Elkin Perez is an 18-year-old defensive midfielder who plays for Liga de Quito U-19. He is their captain and played almost every match for the U-19’s this season, but can count on a lot of competition from other talented defensive midfielders at Liga de Quito. I’ve watched the midfielder a couple of times this season but have not written about Elkin Perez yet. Liga de Quito U-19 had a disappointing season, missing out on a place in the semi-finals of the league after finishing fifth in the regular season.
The Ecuadorian youngster is not the tallest midfielder, standing at around 1.68m – 1.73m. However, he has quite a firm and strong build. Perez is quite strong in shoulder-to-shoulder duels and physical ground duels. Elkin Perez has an okay physical and athletic profile but does not stand out. He displays decent speed over short and long distances. Perez is capable of changing directions quite quickly and can turn sharply. He sometimes struggles in aerial duels because of his small height, making him a vulnerable target for long balls. His footwork can be improved.
The midfielder has pretty good technique. Elkin Perez sporadically has a sloppy and bouncy first touch under pressure, mainly because of his average footwork, However, his passing technique over short and medium-long distances is very clean. He is capable of playing strong line-breaking passes into the attack. Elkin Perez is quite composed under pressure, being capable of turning away from his marker and evading pressure well. He is capable of playing one-touch passes. Perez is a decent ball-carrier, looking strong on the ball and shielding the ball very well. He has good vision, too. Perez often spots runners in behind and can find them with some very nice over-the-top through passes.
Defensively, the Ecuadorian midfielder looks very strong. Elkin Perez reads the game well, positioning himself very well in transition from attacking to defending, allowing him to intercept passes and recover possession. Perez manages to cut passing lanes around the box well, although he occasionally gets dragged out wide. However, in these situations, he often also manages to win back the ball. He is a strong defender in midfield, recovering possession very often. Perez is strong in defensive 1v1s.
My expectation for 2024 is that Elkin Perez will be playing another full season for Liga de Quito U-19, but I hope that he leaves Liga de Quito as he is ready to play senior football. With the presence of Piovi, Zambrano and even Juan Rodriguez in the U-17’s, it is likely that he will not get any chances in the first team. My ideal move for Elkin Perez would be Orense SC, who are known for giving young players a chance. I think he has the potential to play in Denmark or Ukraine.
Target Scouting 