Finding the highly sought-after Diego Castro replacement
When Perth Glory did not offer Diego Castro a contract extension in early October last year, I stood by the club in saying it was absolutely the correct decision.
My argument for a large portion of the latter part of the 2020/21 season was that despite all of the magical moments created by the Spanish wizard, it was clear that he was not getting younger anytime soon and the club needed a new playmaker.
Fast forward to just over a year later, the club has yet to sign a replacement for Diego.
The 2021/22 season was a disaster by all accounts. Many of the issues, particularly going forward, could’ve been explained by the lack of an attacking midfielder who could’ve linked the play from the midfield to the attack.
That was a question posed not just by Glory fans, but A-League fans alike: “who’s going to get the ball to the likes of Bruno Fornaroli, Andy Keogh or Daniel Sturridge?”.
The answer? Well, no one really and that was the problem.
Fornaroli would have to drop so deep that there would be no options ahead of him when the ball would be moved up the pitch.
But even still, the production line for the Uruguayan-born forward was non-existent.
One of Castro’s best qualities was his ability to create opportunities for his teammates in the attacking third.
Take his performances during his final three seasons with the club.
Chances created is a metric I’ve been using for an extended period and it was undoubtedly an area where the Glory struggled in severely last season.
In the period listed prior, Diego Castro created 2.15 chances per game in the 2018/19 season, 2.72 in the 2019/20 season and then 1.76 in the 2020/21 season.
Compared to the Glory’s highest chance creator last season, Jack Clisby, the numbers dropped off pretty badly, as he averaged 1.11 chances created per game.
This arguably was one of the main factors behind the Glory’s massive drop-off in goals scored (20) last season as well.
Now in terms of finding an actual replacement for Diego Castro, it’s not as if the club hasn’t tried to sign one.
Heading into the 2022/23 season, the Glory were very close to signing current Cagliari attacking midfielder, Marco Mancosu.
In all honesty, I thought some Glory fans were pretty silly to suggest that this player wouldn’t have been a success at the club given he played mostly in the Serie B, the second division in Italy.
The reality is, Mancosu would’ve been incredible this season for the Glory, should the deal have gotten over the line.
For SPAL last season, the Italian scored 6 goals, notched up 2 assists and created 1.76 chances per game in 34 appearances.
Perhaps that wasn’t his best season ever, but his ability to create chances, link the ball from the midfield to the attack and get involved on the scoresheet spoke volumes.
He was even more creative in the 2020/21 season, as he scored 8 goals, registered 10 assists and created 2.80 chances per game in 30 appearances.
Personally, I wouldn’t have had any doubts about his potential but unfortunately, with the deal not being completed, the focus instead turns to next season.
So this then draws the big question: “who could the club go for to replace El Maestro?”.
I said it since early 2021, the attacking midfield role has to be the priority position. This is the position that it is critical we address heading into the 2023/24 season, as we can’t go any more seasons without one.
Now it’s easier said than done to identify a player, particularly one that is not Australian that could potentially make the move from their club to the Glory.
So in this relatively big piece, I’ve got a list of a few options, along with some key statistics and my views respective to the player.
Robin Maulun (SC Cambuur)
Now, Maulun is a guy I’ve been analysing for the last few weeks, as I feel that he would be a terrific option for the Glory next season.
It’s been an interesting career development for the French midfielder, as he went through the ranks at Bordeaux, made the switch to Trélissac FC in 2017, spent a year there and then went on to Cambuur in 2018.
In terms of his playstyle, he is an excellent attacking midfielder who is technically gifted.
His ability to pick out players with a range of passes, whether it be a chip over the top, a slide rule pass, a no-look pass, a trivela or a cross hit with pure pace and whip, is first class.
Typically, he tends to occupy areas in and around the left inside channel, as this allows him to roam inside and create a better angle for himself when he’s looking to initiate an attack.
Last season, as his side had just been promoted from the Eerste Divisie to the Eredivisie, Maulun was arguably one of Cambuur’s top performers.
He ranked in the top 13% of central midfielders in the competition for Progressive Passes, the top 25% for Goals/Shots on Target %, the top 16% for Second Assists and the top 13% for Assists.
In 31 appearances, he scored 5 goals, registered 6 assists and created 1.65 chances per game—a decent return for his first season in the Eredivisie.
So for the standard of the Eredivisie, he performed pretty well, given there is a reasonable jump in quality and standard from the second division to the top flight of Dutch football.
When he operated in more advanced areas, which was more prevalent in the prior season in the Eerste Divisie, he was more prolific for Cambuur as in 26 appearances, he scored 2 goals but grabbed 9 assists while also creating 1.69 chances per game.
With his contract expiring with the Dutch side in 2023, it would make sense for the Glory to try and go after his signature.
It would be an outside-the-box type signing, as Maulun would be in a pretty solid age category for a visa signing (he would be 26 next year) and he’s coming from a well-respected league in Europe.
In terms of how I could see him fitting in with the Glory, given we’ve seen the 3–4–3 and the 4–2–3–1 thus far this season, it’s pretty clear to predict where he could play.
In the 3–4–3, it would be probable to suggest he would function as a left attacking midfielder, where he could link up with the other forwards and operate in a natural area to him.
Or with the 4–2–3–1, he could function as the number 10, where he did so to great effect, particularly in the 2020/21 season.
Either way, I firmly feel that Maulun would be just the artist in the final third that the Glory need. His vision, passing and technique are qualities that we’re missing quite clearly.
César Falletti (Ternana)
Like with Maulun, César Falletti may be an outside-the-box type signing as well.
The 29-year-old has sporadically featured for Ternana this season, which is odd given how impressive he was in the prior campaign in the Serie B.
In 20 appearances before sustaining a long-term injury, Falletti scored 8 goals, notched up 3 assists and created 1.85 chances per game.
The Uruguayan typically functions at his best when he’s deployed as either a 10 behind the striker or on either wide area.
He’s a quick, tenacious and creative player who can burst past his opponents, slip a pass in behind or unleash a rocket from outside the box.
In terms of how well he performed last season, there were several statistical categories where he was a standout in the competition, notably ranking in the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers for Progressive Passes, the top 6% for Goals/Shots on Target %, the top 1% for Non-Penalty Expected Goals, the top 9% for Shot Assists, the top 12% for Expected Assists, the top 10% for Second Assists and one of the best when it comes to Smart Passes.
So he’s got quite a catalogue of areas where he excels, so if he was to make the switch to the Glory, he would be a welcomed addition.
A threat via dribbles or his knack for finding a pass, Falletti would be a nightmare for defenders, as those qualities in combination with his raw speed and agility would make him near impossible to stop.
Ghayas Zahid (MKE Ankaragücü)
Your eyes are not deceiving you, that is Ghayas Zahid going up against Real Madrid’s Marcelo at the Santiago Bernabeu in a group-stage match in the Champions League a few years ago.
I have never been more convinced in my life in regards to a potential successor to El Maestro, as I firmly believe that if it were to be possible, this guy would absolutely be a worthy replacement.
Zahid has played in various parts of Europe, with stints in Norway, Cyprus, Greece and now Turkey.
I’ve been analysing this player for some time and having looked at the vision and data of his performances over the last few years, it’s evident in my mind he’s the missing piece of the jigsaw.
The Norweigan is someone who sees a large amount of the ball, as last season in the TFF 1. League, he averaged 51.3 touches per game.
From a creative perspective, he’s someone that operates in similar areas to Castro, in that left-inside channel but he’s arguably at his best when he can occupy little pockets of space around the final third.
What’s clear with Zahid is that if you give him time on the ball, he’ll pick all sorts of passes out. His range, from deep areas to tighter spaces close to the box is outstanding.
Clear similarities between him and Castro originate from the two having excellent close control, great awareness and vision, a willingness to get on the ball and create, and finally, the clear wow factor.
The 27-year-old has just incredible poise when he’s on the ball.
Some of Zahid’s goals that he’s scored were done so that showed a clear resemblance to how Castro would attack defenders; the ability to remain balanced, keep the ball tight, attack the space and then unleash a curler into the bottom corner.
With his contract expiring in June of next year, there is no better option, that could be used as a marquee or a designated player for the Glory than Ghayas Zahid.
Mark Diemers (FC Emmen)
When you think of technically gifted players and where they come from, without a doubt one of the countries that could pop into your head would be the Netherlands.
Mark Diemers, over the last 4–5 years, has been an excellent attacking midfielder who has functioned in areas that would make him considerably suited to the Glory’s system.
He’s functioned at his best when playing with the likes of Fortuna Sittard and more recently with FC Emmen when he’s come off the left wing to create the play.
What are some immediately noticeable traits that Diemers has would be his passing but also the number of times he gets fouled per game.
Prior to making the move to Dutch giants Feyenoord in 2020, in the prior season, he was fouled 3.3 times per game which just shows the measures the opposition would utilise to reduce his impact on games.
In terms of his creative abilities, the key to his success has been his technique, whether it be a shot from outside the box, a cross from a deep position or a pass in behind.
He often punches his crosses into the box, where they swerve and land straight into the stride of the attackers.
When it comes to chances created, by in large he does create a large number per game when playing consistently. When he was with Sittard, he created 2.27 chances per game, which is exactly the kind of creativity the Glory need in the final third.
He backed up those chances created with 7 goals scored and 4 assists.
At this moment, he’s currently on loan from Feyenoord at FC Emmen however both of the contracts at the respective clubs expire in June. If the Glory are looking for a creative playmaker, who is multi-functional, Diemers is a solid shout.
Borja García (Girona)
This is a player who I’ve been keeping an eye on for some time and it’s looking like there are some variables that could play into the Glory’s hand concerning a potential move.
For one, García suffered an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the second leg of the play-off semifinal against Eibar and has been recovering ever since, though he does look set to return to action following the World Cup.
But having said that, some fans have raised issues as to where he would fit in once he does integrate with the first-team.
Aleix García and former Southampton midfielder, Oriol Romeu have been performing very well thus far in La Liga and look unlikely to drop out in favour of García. Yangel Herrera has also rediscovered his form as well.
With the 32-year-old’s contract expiring in June, it doesn’t seem likely at this moment that he will re-sign with Girona and I believe the Glory should try to take advantage of that and bring him to Australia.
Borja García, when fit, was one of the main playmakers for Girona as he would often look to occupy spaces in and around the left inside channel to create the play.
He likes to do little layoffs with the attacking players, and play through balls in behind which as a result causes him to be fouled, as last season he was fouled 2.1 times per game.
García is a solid technical player, who does have a rocket on him, as he has scored a number of wonder goals over his career from outside the box.
Given he can play off the left, behind the centre-forward or as a central midfielder, the 32-year-old would be an astute signing in my view for the Glory.
Final Thoughts
So to conclude, it is absolutely fundamental that the club looks to bring in a good quality playmaker as soon as possible.
While other areas should need refinement of some sort, the absence of an established playmaker over the last few years has left a gaping hole in this Perth Glory squad.
In my mind, Ghayas Zahid is the best option. He can function as a left-sided attacking midfielder in the 3–4–3 or as a 10 behind the striker in the 4–2–3–1 or even as a left winger in that same system.
That’s not to say though that the other three options in Robin Maulun, César Falletti, Mark Diemers and Borja García are bad players, far from it. If we couldn’t get Zahid, then one of those four would be excellent.
The possible benefits of signing a playmaker, most likely heading into the 2023/24 A-League season would be incredible, with one of them potentially being a much greater chance of the squad making the finals.
