Santiago Hidalgo is a 19-year-old (17-02-2005) striker and right-winger who plays for CA Independiente in Argentina. He came through the Independiente youth ranks, working his way up to the first team before debuting in 2022. However, he has only recently broken through at Independiente and is now a regular starter for the first team, where he plays as a right-winger. The attacker is also part of the Argentina U-20 squad, mostly playing as a striker. His market value on Transfermarkt is €1m and his agency is Universal Twenty Two.
Standing at 1.74 meters with a strong build, Santiago Hidalgo has improved his physique over the past few years. He is very quick on the first meters and is quick over longer distances. He changes directions quickly and is capable of turning away from his opponent with sharp turns. Despite being slightly on the smaller side for an attacker, he is strong in shoulder-to-shoulder duels and duels with his back towards the goal. Hidalgo’s efficient use of his body helps him to maintain possession in physical duels, although he sporadically gets pushed off the ball in duels with his back towards the goal. He is relatively effective in aerial duels due to his good jumping reach and timing, compensating for his lack of height with his power and combativeness. Hidalgo plays with a high intensity and is an energetic player both on and off the ball. Although he occasionally presses the opponent blindly, he is very aggressive with his pressing and regularly disrupts his opponent with his pressing, forcing his opponent to make mistakes and being assertive in loose ball duels.
The Argentinian attacker displays good versatility, as he is capable of playing both as a striker and right-winger. He shows a lot of variation in his movement, sometimes receiving the ball at his feet but also being capable of attacking the space behind the defensive line well. Hidalgo occasionally creates space for his overlapping right-back with his movement inside, also supporting Avalos (Independiente’s striker) when he receives a long ball. The Argentinian youngster times his runs and moves excellently. Santiago Hidalgo attacks the space well behind the defensive line, showcasing his ability to get on the blindside of his opponent and make runs off his opponent’s shoulder. He also displays good movement in the box, as his quick directional changes and eye for space often confuse the opposition’s defender and create time and space for Hidalgo to run into space in the box. Hidalgo’s great anticipation in the box helps him to get on the end of a teammate’s cross or pass. He gets into very good areas to potentially score, which is reflected in his stats (0.42 npxG per 90, 97th percentile of the Men’s Next 14 Competitions, although it must be said that it is based on a small sample size with only 729 minutes played). He displays quick handling speed in the box. However, his finishing has been fairly average for the first team of Independiente, although he was more clinical for Argentina U-20. Hidalgo strikes the ball with power but sometimes fails to direct the shot towards the corner or fails to convert a 1v1 opportunity. He has decent heading ability.
Playing as a right-winger for CA Independiente, it is evident that he is not a natural winger with his lack of dribbles. He does not take on his opponent often and lacks trickery in attacking 1v1s, although his good on-the-ball strength, quick directional changes and speed help him to dribble past his opponent at times. Hidalgo has a lot of success cutting inside to his stronger left foot but does not often attempt to dribble past his opponent on the outside. He, after cutting inside, attempts to find space in the box for a shot and does well to maintain his composure until he needs to shoot. Hidalgo can also sporadically look for a sideways pass or quick combination after cutting inside, but his follow-up action after cutting inside depends on his starting position. It is more likely he plays a pass when he is in the midfield third, whereas he would go for a shot or in-swinging cross more often if he starts his action in the final third. Hidalgo has a clean passing technique over short distances, although his passing is sporadically sloppy. He is capable of playing one-touch football in tight spaces, occasionally showcasing his quick decision-making under pressure. Although he is not the most creative player, Hidalgo sometimes spots runners in behind and attempts to find them with a through pass. However, the execution of his through passes is quite inconsistent. The Argentinian attacker can create chances for Independiente with in-swinging crosses with his left foot or crosses from the byline with his right foot, although this happens sporadically.
Santiago Hidalgo either needs to play as a striker in a two-striker formation (next to a targetman or a similar profile) or as an inside forward in a 3-4-3 (or similar formation), as he neither has the dribbling ability and creativity for a winger nor the physical profile of a lone striker. He will improve his finishing ability over time but clubs in Belgium would be smart to pick him up before his numbers start to explode, as it is only a matter of time before he starts scoring goal after goal for Independiente. Santiago Hidalgo is an exciting talent but clubs need to act quickly before his numbers start to explode. He has the potential to play for clubs in the top 5 leagues that fight for European football.
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