Enzo Barrenechea has completed a transfer to Aston Villa as part of the swap-deal which sent Douglas Luiz to Juventus, providing Unai Emery with another option in central midfield.
The 23-year-old spent last year on loan at Frosinone, undertaking his first full season of playing time at first-team level. Here is what Villa fans can expect.
Strengths:
Barrenechea has the technical, on-ball ability he will need to succeed in the Premier League.
There is nothing to complain about in terms of his passing. Barrenechea plays the ball with consistent accuracy to all parts of the pitch, ranking in the 64th percentile for pass accuracy among midfielders in the ‘Big 5’ European leagues last season, with above average marks for short, medium, and long passing.
The Argentine likes to loft crossfield passes and hit teammates in stride, ranking in the 68th percentile for switches. He also finds passes between the lines to get his team going forward, ranking in the 73rd percentile for passes into the final third and the 55th for progressive passes.
Barrenechea can pull off smooth improvised backheel passes when necessary. If you are taking a throw-in, he is a player you can throw it to and know he will cushion the ball back to you without fuss, maintaining possession.
At Frosinone, he wanted the ball and was relied upon to possess it in high volumes, ranking in the 93rd percentile for touches in the defensive third and the 86th percentile for touches in the middle third.
This trust was well placed, as he took care of the football with a clean first touch and an ability to keep hold of it. He ranks in the 81st percentile for times dispossessed.
The midfielder finds space and stays available all over the pitch, offering to receive the ball from centre-backs in buildup, or wingers looking for an help after hitting a dead end. He moves subtly to lose an opponent and receive the ball from throw-ins.
Barrenechea controls awkward balls with ease, whether he has to stretch or trap them in an unorthodox way, ranking in the 92nd percentile for miscontrols. He has a good understanding of when he can and cannot bring the ball down, heading or flicking it on instead when necessary.
He is calm in possession and does not falter under pressure, showing an ability to escape either by shaking opponents on his back or spotting a pass even if it did not appear to be on.
Without the ball, Barrenechea works well as part of a team press and at Frosinone, often pressed high from opposition goal kicks rather than sitting deep, getting onto the backs of players. He ranks in the 54th percentile for tackles in the attacking third.
In his own penalty area, he is routinely in the right place to clean up crosses or clear them away. Barrenechea picks up attackers or occupies spaces ready to cut out passes. He registers in the 95th percentile for ball recoveries and the 86th for clearances.
He shows intelligence in tracking forward runs by opposition midfielders and directing traffic to make sure players are picked up by his teammates.
Barrenechea also displays the ability to tackle effectively, scoring in the 66th percentile for tackles won. He times them to poke the ball away when there is an opening.
From a physicality standpoint, Barrenechea has some assets to work with. While not the quickest, he possesses more than enough mobility to get around the pitch as required. He is 6’1”, helping him compete in the air and score in the 70th percentile for aerial win percentage.
His frame also allows him to protect the ball, ranking in the 79th percentile for fouls drawn. Barrenechea won more fouls than he committed last season.
Weaknesses:
Barrenechea’s biggest weakness is that he offers essentially zero offensive output, ranking in the 6th percentile for xG, the 5th for touches in the attacking third and the 11th in shot-creating actions.
He is a true defensive midfielder and simply does not get into positions where he can hurt the opposition.
A question mark in Barrenechea’s game is his ability to carry the ball past opponents and generally progress his team forward. There are signs he can do it, but at Frosinone, he really never did, or perhaps was not asked to.
Barrenechea ranks in the 2nd percentile for progressive carries, the 3rd for carries into the final third and the 11th for successful take-ons. He did not carry the ball into the penalty area once last season. Time will tell whether this is an area he can unlock at his new club.
There is a lack of intensity and aggression in his defending at times. When closing opponents down in the open field, he can be made to look silly as they easily run by him while he seems confused as to how he should position himself.
Despite his height, Barrenechea has a somewhat skinny frame and could stand to fill out a bit more. He ranks in the 22nd percentile for challenges lost, and some extra physicality could help in that regard.
He can be guilty of playing loose or casual passes that leave teammates in trouble in bad areas. Barrenechea ranks in the 13th percentile for errors. He also ranks in the 25th percentile for yellow cards, leaving some questions over his discipline.
The lack of experience Barrenechea has despite now being 23 will be a concern. He only has one season of first-team mens football under his belt at this point, and will now have to adapt to playing in a different country.
Fit with Villa
With Boubacar Kamara recovering from a knee injury and unlikely to feature before the end of the year, Barrenechea has a genuine chance to earn significant playing time right away.
As it stands, he is the only (healthy) natural defensive midfielder in the squad. There is no real positional versatility with Barrenechea.
Adaptation to a new country and Premier League football could take time, so it would be prudent for Villa to add another option before the end of August in order to avoid forcing Barrenechea into the lineup too early.
With time to develop, Barrenechea could become a starting quality midfielder for Villa, but should still get opportunities to prove himself in the meantime, and playing in a stronger team (Frosinone were relegated from Serie A last season) could bring the best out of him.
The Villa Ramble 
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