Mateo Peralta is a 19-year-old attacking/central midfielder currently playing for Danubio in the Uruguayan Primera División. He began his youth career with Nacional’s youth teams before making the move to Danubio’s academy, where he would eventually make his debut with the first team in the 2024 season. He has also represented Uruguay at the CONMEBOL U-17 and U-20 Championships.
Peralta measures around 1.74 m (5’9″). Physically, he has somewhat of a boxy frame. It seems he has slimmed down a bit from last season, as he looked a bit stockier. The midfielder shows good strength and balance to hold off opponents when being pressured while receiving. He uses his frame to hold off opponents or draw fouls in tight midfield situations. He is smart about how he uses his body to protect the ball, using his arms for leverage to give him time to pick out a pass or turn out of pressure. Peralta shows good agility in these situations, being able to turn away from defenders quickly and smoothly. He covers a lot of ground throughout games, engaging in a high amount of duels throughout the match, showing he has a good level of endurance. He does not have the quickest burst of acceleration, which can hinder him when trying to close down. His speed over shorter distances isn’t impressive, but he seems to pick up over longer distances.
Peralta’s biggest strengths are his passing range and ability to carry the ball. He is comfortable playing passes with both feet. His passes over shorter and medium distances are hit sharply across the ground with few bobbles, making it easier for his teammates to receive and turn quickly. Whenever Peralta is in possession, he plays with great enthusiasm. Every time he receives the ball, he is always looking to make something happen. He plays with his head on a swivel, looking for passing options to progress the ball forward. Something I have noticed about him is that he does not like to sit on the ball too long. If possible, he likes to play at a quicker tempo. If there are no options available going forward, he prefers to circulate the ball, playing quick short passes with nearby teammates to entice a press or wait for a gap to open up. Peralta has shown he has a good understanding of when he must play one touch and when he can take an extra touch or hold possession. Peralta likes to carry the ball forward if he has space. He shows good dribbling technique, maintaining close control of the ball and dribbling at speed. Overall, the Danubio midfielder has a good first touch and good ball control.
Defensively, Peralta can still struggle to read the game. He can be much more reactive rather than proactive when it comes to his positioning. He can be overeager sometimes and leave gaps in the midfield, making it easier for the opposition to play through. He must improve in his timing and deciding when to step and when to hold shape. He occasionally struggles to cover passing lanes and track runners, but this mostly happens in games when he plays in a two-man midfield. In a midfield three, he looked more comfortable due to having a third midfielder helping out with some of the defensive duties and giving Peralta more attacking freedom. He still shows good aspects, such as his strong tackling and ability to recover loose balls in the defensive third. In the build-up, he sometimes will drop deep to receive in the first phase of possession and build out. When attacking, Peralta likes to make runs into the half spaces, looking to get crosses into the box.
Peralta is a midfielder who still needs refinement in his game. He shows great ability in possession, but his execution and decision-making still have room to improve. Defensively, he will need to learn to read the game faster. Earning consistent minutes with Danubio should be his primary focus right now, as he has been in and out of the lineup in recent months. Making a move to play in Brazil or Argentina will be good for his development to challenge himself against higher-level opposition. There is definite potential for him to play in Europe, but he still needs time to develop.
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