Player Profile: Joel Lopez

Player Profile: Joel Lopez

by Jack Lacey-Hatton

Arsenal now possess greater depth at left-back than any other position on the pitch and that now extends beyond the first-team.

Joel López Salguero has impressed this year in Arsenal’s development side, and in the coming seasons may be in a position to challenge Kieran Tierney and others.

In fact he has already trained with the senior team on several occasions this season, with manager Mikel Arteta clearly keen to get a good look at a player many have tipped to become one of the best young full-backs in Europe.

But for those who haven’t tracked his progress so far, let’s dig deeper into Lopez’s background and how he ended up in North London.

 

 

Who is he?

Lopez was born in Barcelona on March 31 2002, turning 20 at the end of this month.

He originally joined his hometown club as a youth team player training at the famous La Masia academy, the centre responsible for Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta among others.

Lopez blossomed into a talented left-sided player, the issue was however that Barcelona also had Juan Miranda who played the same position, was two years older and highly rated by club officials.

As a result the Catalan giants were unable to tie him down to a long-term future at the team, despite offering Lopez a contact back in 2018.

A number of clubs across Europe were suddenly on high-alert and ready to fight for his signature, with Liverpool in particular rumoured to be monitoring the situation closely.

But it was the Gunners who managed to get a jump on the competition and brought him to England on a scholarship deal, eventually signing a pro deal in 2019.

This year he has been one of the best players in the under-23 team that are second only to Manchester City in Premier League 2.

 

How does he play?

Comparisons with Hector Bellerin are obvious due to both having similar backgrounds, but the two full-backs also closely match-up in their respective playing styles.

Lopez possesses rapid pace, enjoys a tackle and loves to join in with attacks. His natural speed also allows him to make recovery challenges others would struggle to make.

Like Bellerin and Cesc Fabregas, Lopez looks like a player who has spent plenty of time on the La Masia training pitches.

He is comfortable bringing the ball out of defence and uses possession smartly.

His ability to support attacks and wonderful left foot have also led to comparisons with Barcelona star Jordi Alba – not a bad comparison for someone who is yet to play for the senior team.

 

 

When will we see him?

The emergence of Lopez for the development side this season has certainly given Arteta food for thought.

This is why the 19-year-old has trained with the first team at various points during the season.

So could he be on the verge of stepping into the senior squad and getting some Premier League minutes before the end of the season?

At the moment, Kieran Tierney will be hard to shift from the starting XI for the bigger games. 

He is vice-captain and has generally been one of the best signings for the club in recent years, but his injury record suggests he is a player who needs rotation.

This is where the other left-backs will need to be utilised, although Lopez now has to put himself above Nuno Tavares in the pecking order.

Tavares signed last summer in a move that threatened Lopez’s pathway into the first-team.

But the former Benfica man has struggled for a consistent run of form since his move and is still very much adapting to the physicality of English football.

Although he will be given time by the club having signed for £8million, there is no reason why Lopez can’t compete with him to deputise for Tierney.

If he continues his impressive form for the development side Lopez will almost certainly play some senior football next season, if not sooner.

Whether that is for Arsenal or out on-loan, only time will tell.

Photo Credit: Getty Images