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If Leonardo Fernandez is standing over a dead ball, be afraid… very afraid

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The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Fantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more. Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off! Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Leonardo Fernandez is a throwback of sorts. Up until particularly recently, set-pieces were seen as an added extra, rather than an integral part of the game: that was until huge teams started exploiting them and making the corner the new penalty. All that makes Penarol playmaker Fernandez very interesting indeed: here's your quick scout report as to why.

Name: Leonardo Fernandez Position/s: Attacking midfield, right-wing Age: 27 (Born: November 8, 1998)Nationality: Uruguayan Height: 1. 66m (5ft 5in)Preferred Foot: Left Current Club: Penarol An uncapped, 27-year-old journeyman, Leo Fernandez's career has been unremarkable even to many South American fans up until a couple of years ago. Time in the Uruguayan second division led to a move to Mexico; Toluca loaned him to Fluminense, who in turn terminated the agreement early, with the diminutive no. 10 flopping in Brazil. Then came a loan back home to Penarol on loan, where he finished as the Primera Division's top scorer and led the Carboneros to a Copa Libertadores semi-final. Fernandez has been a revelation, thanks to his incredible dead-ball prowess – and just over a year ago, Penarol smashed the Uruguayan transfer record to sign him permanently. Set-piece delivery: Leo Fernandez might be the best dead-ball specialist in the world. He can hit free-kicks from anywhere – on goal or to team-mates – whip corners, and he offers pinpoint delivery from anywhere on the pitch. Playmaking: Unsurprisingly, Fernandez's vision is statistically elite. He has the ability to slice through low blocks and break lines with perfectly weighted balls: he can be incredibly vertical when he wants to be or dictate tempo in the final third. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Long-range shooting: He can hit them, too. The Uruguayan has the deadly combination of a rocket shot, finesse from his instep and the ‘clutch’ gene. Defences are usually caught in two minds as to whether to step onto him and leave space in behind, or drop deep and invite a long-range effort. Passing range: Fernandez is unsurprisingly an excellent passer of the ball, from long-range diagonals to sharp, shorter passes. He is the trigger when Penarol are in transition, launching team-mates into space. Press resistance and dribbling: With a low centre of gravity and purposeful ball-carrying, it's difficult to get the ball off Fernandez. The 27-year-old has futsal-like control in tight spaces and often weaves his wave through opponents with subtle feints. Defensive contribution: With incredible ability on the ball comes significant weakness out of possession. Fernandez lacks intensity in the press and in transition, feeling like a real Mesut Ozil-esque throwback at times. Often, pressing and ball-winning in a structure is less about actually throwing tackles in but positioning yourself to intercept – and Fernandez could do with working on that aspect of his game if he's to improve much further. One-footedness: Fernandez is utterly elite on his left foot, but elite defenders can defend against him a little easier than most of the Uruguayan top flight. A little more unpredictability may be needed if he's going to rise any higher. Duel-winning: A lack of defensive contribution is coupled with a physical profile that doesn't exactly dominate in central areas. Fernandez is often outmuscled in physical duels, while at 5ft 5in, he is statistically anonymous as an aerial threat. ‘Luxury’ player would be one way to describe him.

MIDFIELDERS Leo Castledine, Mikel Jauregizar, Rodri Mendoza With Uruguay's two greatest-ever strikers gone, set-pieces back en vogue and World Cup squads bigger than ever, you'd fancy a secret weapon like Fernandez going to North America this summer as a wildcard. The only problem is that Marcelo Bielsa demands virtually the opposite of what Leo Fernandez represents: he wants battlers off the ball, not luxury no. 10s. Still uncapped with March fast-approaching, it looks like the Penarol man could miss out on a call-up again – but stranger things have happened… Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at Four Four Two. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

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