Julián Bazán is a 20-year-old centre-back at Deportivo Pereira in the Colombian Primera División. He stands at 1.83 m and has 24 caps for the Colombia U-20, most recently featuring at the U-20 World Cup in Chile.

In the build-out from the goalkeeper, he shows real composure on the ball in short combinations, always looking to play wide to the fullback or find the central midfielders between the lines. Under a high, aggressive press, though, he tends to fall back on a soft, floated long ball played parallel to the back line, giving possession away when it is not necessary. In the build-up phase, Pereira’s three-centre-back system, in which Bazán operates on both sides, limits him largely to reset passes or short forward connections into the opposition half, both of which he delivers cleanly. What follows is where the system constrains him most. Once the ball moves on, he becomes largely passive, focused on covering behind the other two centre-backs and preparing to drop into a low block, a clear 5-3-2 or 5-4-1 on loss of possession. In a 4-4-2, he would be far more involved. He carries the ball quickly and efficiently, and that ability to drive forward and draw markers would create structural problems for opposition defences that simply are not asked of him right now. His attacking output is almost entirely set-piece-based, with corners being the area where his finishing ability is most visible.

Defensively, he is dominant in the air. His jumping mechanics are strong, his timing is good, and he wins his aerial duels with consistency. Inside the box, his decision-making stands out, too. He reads when to go to ground to block and when to hold his shape, which is a detail many young defenders at this level still get wrong. Off the ball, his organisation within the back five is solid throughout. He communicates well along the line, steps out to engage his marker, almost always the opposing centre-forward, and applies aggressive pressure even in the opposition half, either to win it back or force a foul and kill the transition. One clear area for improvement is his body orientation against movement. When his marker is a mobile striker or a winger temporarily occupying a central position, the semi-circular runs give him real problems. He gets caught flat-footed, runs out of reaction time, and ends up playing opponents onside and gifting finishing opportunities.

Overall, he is a centre-back with strong defensive foundations and a technically sound profile that, at 20, has significant room to grow, particularly in a more demanding environment and with greater tactical freedom. In a back four, considerably more of his ability would come to the surface. His physical and technical qualities also make him an option as a defensive midfielder, covering more ground and operating as the link between defence and attack.