Martim Fernandes – Portopublished at 15:22 British Summer Time
Who could replace Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool?
The youngest player of the three – and arguably the one with the greatest potential – is Martim Fernandes, who has impressed many since breaking into the Porto first-team this season, writes Ninad Barbadikar.
In 23 league appearances, Fernandes has five assists to his name and at just 19 years of age is already a key creative cog in the side.
He enjoys playing on the front foot and much like Trent Alexander-Arnold, he is an excellent crosser of the ball, adept at delivering into dangerous zones inside the opposition’s six-yard box.
It is no wonder he is averaging an expected assists (xA) per match figure of 0.3 in the Portuguese top flight.
The young Portuguese provides an option on the flanks by playing high and wide up the pitch when Porto are attacking but is also capable of adding variety by making darting runs for the centre-backs to pass to, beyond the last defensive line of the opposition.
He shows promising movement while underlapping or overlapping to hit the byline to cross, and can manoeuvre in tight spaces to curl a cross into the box, much as Alexander-Arnold does.
In the Liga Portugal this term, Fernandes has averaged an impressive 3.65 crosses per match. His composure on the ball under pressure is impressive – and he has an excellent engine for the defensive side of the game.
Image source, Getty Images
