Moleiro's magic: The Canarian wizard matching Villarreal legends
Alberto Moleiro's stunning season puts him on track to rival Riquelme and Cazorla in Villarreal's history books with his goal-scoring prowess from midfield.
Young midfielder Alberto Moleiro is having an absolute blinder of a season for Villarreal, with his performance against Espanyol on Monday adding yet another goal and assist to his increasingly impressive collection.
Outshining the big money boys
The 22-year-old Canary Islander has already bagged nine league goals this season, a tally bettered by only six other players in La Liga - most of whom are out-and-out strikers. What’s particularly eye-catching is how the youngster is outperforming established attacking midfielders like Raphinha, Antony, and Vinicius - players whose market values would make your eyes water and who’ve been dining at the top table for much longer.
Chasing Yellow Submarine legends
With 16 matchdays still remaining, Moleiro is on course to join the pantheon of Villarreal’s greatest attacking midfielders. And that’s no mean feat when you consider the company he’s keeping:
- Juan Román Riquelme: 15 goals (2004-05) and 12 goals (2005-06)
- Santi Cazorla: 11 goals (2019-20)
- Roberto Soriano: 9 goals (2016-17) - currently tied with Moleiro
At his current clip, the lad from Tenerife could genuinely challenge Riquelme’s record - and that’s proper Bobby Dazzler territory, considering the Argentine genius is widely regarded as Villarreal’s greatest ever player.
National team knocking?
Despite his stellar form potentially putting him in contention for a Spain call-up ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, Moleiro’s keeping his plates of meat firmly on the ground.
“I’m focused here and on the team,” he modestly stated after the Espanyol match, though the debate about his inclusion in the next Spain squad is heating up faster than a cuppa on a cold morning at the Ceramica.
With his combination of goals, assists and all-round midfield play, Moleiro isn’t just having a good season - he’s having the kind that gets etched into club folklore. If he maintains this trajectory, Villarreal might have found their next midfield maestro to follow in those legendary footsteps.