Mikel Jauregizar is hardly revolutionary for Athletic Club.
With the club influenced by English stylings and Basque coaching on the rise and rise, midfielders with a particular blend of intelligence and intensity have been coming through at Athletic for a while now, with Oihan Sancet and Mikel Vesga recent success stories at San Mames who have generated relatively little hype beyond Iberian borders.
With Jauregizar netting for the Lehoiak last season against Manchester United and the Bilbao-based giants back in the Champions League, the 22-year-old might just earn a few more admirers: here's your quick scout report on what he offers in the centre of the park.
So… who exactly is Mikel Jauregizar?
Name: Mikel Jauregizar
Position/s: Defensive midfield, central midfield
Age: 22 (Born: November 13, 2003)
Nationality: Spain
Height: 1.77m (5ft 10in)
Preferred Foot: Right
Current Club: Athletic Club
In the past three decades, only Bittor Alkiza, Carlos Gurpegui and Oscar de Marcos have worn the no.18 shirt before Jauregizar took it on at the start of the 2024/25 campaign: it turned out to be a breakout season, with the midfielder playing 48 times in all competitions, as Athletic reached the Europa League semi-finals.
There are obvious comparisons in terms of position and physical stature with fellow Basque metronome Martin Zubimendi, but Jauregizar is a completely different kind of player. The latter has more in common, actually, with Declan Rice, in his ability to cover the pitch, press with vigour and offer ball-winning in the final third – though he has been used deeper, too.
Jauregizar's strengths
Pressing: Jauregizar is machine-like in his pressing. His ability to win the ball high up the pitch is astounding, as he showed by leading stats for ball recoveries per 90 last season when it came to under-21 midfielders in La Liga. With Ernesto Valverde pressing in an aggressive 4-2-4, the Basque midfielder is one of a double-pivot and a master at judging exactly when to jump from position to intercept.
Verticality: With the Williams brothers ahead of him, Jauregizar has the courage to offer quick balls between the lines, progressing play fast and vertically. The 22-year-old is happy to recycle play but ranks highly for forward passes: he's also happy to make big switches, usually out to the left flank.
Engine: To have played nearly 50 times at the age of 21 for a team who qualified for the Champions League and reached the final four of a European competition shows quality, but also durability. Jauregizar has incredible stamina to get box to box for Athletic Club, providing plenty of running in and out of possession.
Intelligence: As you would expect from a Basque midfielder, Jauregizar is positionally sound, with good decision making and awareness of what's around him when defending as a part of a unit. He has good anticipation, too, whether defending a transition or judging a leap for a header.
‘Pausa’: A prerequisite of any aspiring Spain international, Jauregizar is able to slow play down and wait an extra second to make a pass, opening passing lanes around him.
Jauregizar's areas of development
Ball-carrying: Jauregizar relies more on his passing ability than actually dribbling with the ball. He can struggle to disrupt well-organised blocks with just his passing alone.
1v1 defending: While Jauregizar is superb when defending as a part of a unit, he isn't as confident when isolated against an opponent, lacking the physical prowess to overpower an attacker in the way that a Rice or Rodri might. This isn't too much of an issue for an elite possession-based side, but his ‘dribbled past’ stats show that he wouldn't necessarily be a natural fit at full-back, for example.
Final ball: Jauregizar is a good passer with plenty of variety in his arsenal, but he lacks precision around the box. Assists aren't everything, but he's yet to develop a deftness in his final ball.
