Mikel Jauregizar Alboniga, born in Bermeo on 13 November 2003, has established himself this season as a present and future asset for Athletic Club. This is yet another example of the prodigious youth system of the Basque club.
Mikel started out as a footballer in Bermeo FT, the club of his hometown. It was not until 2021, at the age of 17, when he joined Athletic to play for their youth team. In the 2022 summer he moved to the second red-white reserve team, CD Basconia, in 3rd RFEF. For the 2023/24 season he was promoted to Bilbao Athletic in 2nd RFEF, a team with which he would achieve a new promotion to 1st RFEF under the orders of Carlos Gurpegui.
On 7 December 2023 he made his debut with Athletic Club, in a Copa del Rey match. That same month he made his debut in the First Division, in San Mamés, in a convincing victory against Atlético de Madrid (2-0). From that moment on, his rise was meteoric.
For the 2024/25 season, he was definitely promoted to the first team of the “athleticzale” club. On 29 September, he scored his first goal in the First Division, at San Mamés, in a draw against Sevilla FC. As of today, he has become a man Ernesto Valverde trusts in all competitions, being a key player in the rotation or starting from the beginning.
So much so, that on 19 November 2024 he also made his debut with the Spanish U21 national team in a friendly against Denmark U21 (2-1) played at the Carlos Belmonte Stadium.
Among his qualities as a footballer, we highlight Mikel as a player with a very predominant physique and tactically very disciplined. Physically, we find a player with a strong lower body, very good in individual duels and very aggressive in pressing in defensive transitions.
Tactically, he is a very responsible player. He stands out mainly for his work without the ball, his ability to defend forward and his high volume of work, freeing up a lot of space for his partner in the building.
However, technically he is also a remarkable player. His associative level is good, he has a great understanding of the game and stands out especially for his great ball control when going out from the back with the ball.
On the mental side, lastly, there is still a lot of room for improvement. He is a midfielder with personality and great professionalism, but he still needs to gain weight and influence in the building of the game to become what is expected of him: to become the key player in the midfield of a historic club like Athletic Club.
Click here to see full scouting report.
Mikel started out as a footballer in Bermeo FT, the club of his hometown. It was not until 2021, at the age of 17, when he joined Athletic to play for their youth team. In the 2022 summer he moved to the second red-white reserve team, CD Basconia, in 3rd RFEF. For the 2023/24 season he was promoted to Bilbao Athletic in 2nd RFEF, a team with which he would achieve a new promotion to 1st RFEF under the orders of Carlos Gurpegui.
On 7 December 2023 he made his debut with Athletic Club, in a Copa del Rey match. That same month he made his debut in the First Division, in San Mamés, in a convincing victory against Atlético de Madrid (2-0). From that moment on, his rise was meteoric.
For the 2024/25 season, he was definitely promoted to the first team of the “athleticzale” club. On 29 September, he scored his first goal in the First Division, at San Mamés, in a draw against Sevilla FC. As of today, he has become a man Ernesto Valverde trusts in all competitions, being a key player in the rotation or starting from the beginning.
So much so, that on 19 November 2024 he also made his debut with the Spanish U21 national team in a friendly against Denmark U21 (2-1) played at the Carlos Belmonte Stadium.
Among his qualities as a footballer, we highlight Mikel as a player with a very predominant physique and tactically very disciplined. Physically, we find a player with a strong lower body, very good in individual duels and very aggressive in pressing in defensive transitions.
Tactically, he is a very responsible player. He stands out mainly for his work without the ball, his ability to defend forward and his high volume of work, freeing up a lot of space for his partner in the building.
However, technically he is also a remarkable player. His associative level is good, he has a great understanding of the game and stands out especially for his great ball control when going out from the back with the ball.
On the mental side, lastly, there is still a lot of room for improvement. He is a midfielder with personality and great professionalism, but he still needs to gain weight and influence in the building of the game to become what is expected of him: to become the key player in the midfield of a historic club like Athletic Club.
Click here to see full scouting report.