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Od choice?
Who is Alvaro Odriozola? Spain World Cup star and Manchester United target playing at Real Sociedad
Manchester United watched the Real Sociedad full-back in the Europa League this season and may well do so again at the World Cup
MANCHESTER UNITED know exactly what summer target and Spain World Cup star Alvaro Odriozola will bring to Old Trafford if they can secure his signing.
That’s because the Real Sociedad right-back scored the winner against the Red Devils in 2013 in the Uefa Youth League and left them with a struggle to get out of their group.
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Five years on and he's edging out Hector Bellerin in the Spain pecking order, having earned a call-up to the 23-man squad ahead of the Arsenal star.
Jose Mourinho is never backwards in coming forwards and the Portuguese will expect United vice-chairman Ed Woodward to deliver his targets this summer.
One of whom is Odriozola. United scouts watched the defender score in Sociedad’s 2-1 loss to Salzburg in the Europa League ahead of a potential summer move.
But who is the Spanish full-back? Our friends at Football Whispers profile Odriozola and look at what Manchester United can expect from the 22-year-old.
Who is Alvaro Odriozola and where does he come from?
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One man’s misfortune is another’s fortune, and so it proved in Odriozola’s fledgling career.
The San Sebastian-born full-back has spent his entire career with hometown club Real Sociedad, working his way through the Basque outfit’s academy and second string.
So when Carlos Martinez and Joseba Zaldua were ruled out of a trip to Malaga in January 2017, coach Eusebio Sacristan put his faith in the young full-back.
OD MOVE? Manchester United weighing up summer swoop for Real Sociedad full-back Alvaro Odriozola
The decision proved to be a masterstroke.
Sociedad won 2-0 at La Roselada and Odriozola slotted in seamlessly until he was withdrawn with 14 minutes remaining due to injury.
Odriozola took to the task like a seasoned pro, impressing with his willingness to get forward and support the attack – a trait which can be put down to his time as a winger earlier in his career.
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He said afterwards: “For me it is a very special day because since I was 10 years old I have been at Real and [dreamed of making my] debut with the team of my life in the first division.”
Sacristan had already named Odriozola on the bench for La Liga games against Valencia and Rayo Vallecano at the end of the 2015/16 campaign, an indication of his trust in the young defender.
Odriozola finished the 2016/17 season with 16 first-team appearances and 18 for the second string. Crucially, though, none of those came after making his La Liga debut.
He started the 2017/18 campaign at Sociedad’s first-choice right-back and his fine form for the club was rewarded with a call-up to the Spain Under-21 squad for the European Championships in Poland.
In the space of six months he had gone from an unknown to finishing a silver medallist at Under-21 European Championships.
A call-up to Julen Lopetegui’s senior squad for a World Cup qualifier against Albania followed in October.
Standing in for Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal, who had been ruled out with a heart condition, Odriozola marked his maiden appearance for La Roja with an assist for Thiago Alcantara who grabbed the hosts’ third after 26 minutes of a routine win.
A month later he won his second cap in a 5-0 friendly victory over Costa Rica – the only member of Spain’s back four not to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona.
How long that will still be the case remains to be seen. Manchester United face competition from La Liga’s big two for Odriozola with both facing problems at right-back.
How much will Odriozola cost?
Although he has a £40m release clause written into his contract, Real Sociedad are expected to demand significantly less for Odriozola with reports suggesting a price of around £18m could be enough to get a deal done.
What is Odriozola’s most likely destination?
Earlier in the season Odriozola was subject of Real Madrid and Barcelona transfer rumours. But the young full-back was frustrated by suggestions he favoured a move to the Bernabeu.
“It bothers me, because people who do not know me write that,” the Real Madrid transfer target told Spanish newspaper AS in November.
“You can have you preferences, but I am 100% Real Sociedad and yes, sometimes it bothers me because the interest of some club appears and people think that you are of that team. And that is not so, so it bothers me.”
With Antonio Valencia turning 33 this summer and forgotten man Matteo Darmian expected to join Juventus, United’s need could be the greatest, though.
Right-back has been an issue since Gary Neville’s retirement in 2011. Can Odriozola finally fill the void? Mourinho will certainly hope so.