Tomás Pérez is a 19-year-old central midfielder who plays for Newell’s Old Boys in the Argentinian Liga Profesional. Pérez came through Newell’s youth academy and made his first-team debut this year. He has recently established himself as a regular starter for the Argentinian side, having already played 17 matches for Newell’s Old Boys this season. Pérez is also part of the Argentina U-20 squad. He has played in various roles this season, as I have seen him as a defensive midfielder, box-to-box midfielder and attacking midfielder.
Standing at around 1.82 meters with an average build, Tomás Pérez displays good physical strength in both shoulder-to-shoulder duels and duels with his back towards the goal. The midfielder is quite strong in aerial duels, thanks to his good coordination and positioning. He also has decent jumping reach and timing. He shows above-average acceleration on the first meters and is quite quick over longer distances. Pérez has decent agility, although he sporadically can look a bit slow on the turn.
In possession, Tomás Pérez can move between the two centre-backs, operate as a defensive midfielder in front of the defence and also move between the lines in advanced positions. He displays good positioning between the lines, getting into good positions to receive the ball in space close to the box at times, although he can also move into space in deeper areas depending on his role. Tomás Pérez has a good touch and often turns the right way under pressure. He has a clean short passing technique, mostly attempting short passes without being overly progressive. Pérez occasionally breaks lines with his passing and recognizes the moments to recycle possession after recovering the ball. He demonstrates decent vision, spotting runners in behind sporadically and trying to find them with an over-the-top through pass. His ball-carrying is impressive thanks to his on-the-ball acceleration, good close control and strength on the ball, which helps him maintain possession under pressure in tight spaces. Pérez is composed in the final third.
Having watched Newell’s Old Boys and Argentina U-20 in matches where they tried to press high up the pitch, Tomás Pérez excels at breaking play up well by stepping up at the right times and making the right decisions in transition. The Argentinian midfielder is very effective in physical duels with well-timed standing and sliding tackles. His aggressiveness and tenacity also make him strong in loose ball duels, showing determination to regain possession. Defending in deeper areas when the opponent has settled possession, Tomás Pérez does well to cut passing lanes and intercept passes close to the box, displaying his good reading of the game. He covers spaces well and closes gaps in midfield too. Pérez always runs in the right positions at the right time to block passing lanes, showcasing his defensive maturity despite his young age and lack of experience at the highest level in Argentina. He sporadically gets caught ball-watching, failing to track runners in behind, though.
Tomás Pérez’s versatility and maturity are unique for such a young player who lacks experience at the highest level. He excels as a box-to-box midfielder, although he also shows promise as a defensive midfielder. His interesting physical profile, ability to receive between the lines, ball-carrying skills, presence in dangerous positions, knack for picking up second balls, and talent for breaking up play in transition make him an exciting box-to-box midfielder. His next step could be a club in the Belgian or Portuguese league, although I would advise him to gain more experience in Argentina before taking that step. He has the potential to play for a club that fights for European football in La Liga.
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