Both have blond hair, wear the number 8 shirt at Real Madrid and play as midfielders. However, in reality, Fede Valverde and Toni Kroos' playing styles are not the same.
Two completely different styles coexisted for many years at the Bernabeu. However, after his senior retired, Valverde was forced to change.
Kroos has given Valverde his number and his voice in the Los Blancos dressing room. However, few would dare to think that the Uruguayan midfielder can replace Kroos' role on the pitch. However, Real's lack of creative elements has left Valverde with the responsibility of leading the team. In simple terms, he has to repeat what Kroos does on the pitch.
The 26-year-old's transformation is evident in the numbers. He is averaging 63.3 passes per game this season, four more than last season and 12 more than the previous two seasons.
Even Valverde's pass completion rate, something Kroos excelled at, has improved, with the Uruguayan completing 91.3% of his passes, compared to 89.8% last season.
Valverde has also become a reliable source for his teammates to pass the ball to. The number of touches he has on the pitch has increased significantly. Of course, this has not changed Valverde's style, with its impressive range of movement and energy.
Accurate long passes are what make Kroos's brand. And this season, Valverde has gradually improved this aspect. Not only is he more active in long passes, but his success rate is also very high, from 68.1% last season to 81.7% this campaign.
The Real Madrid orchestra is in need of a conductor and right now, Valverde is the man to take on that responsibility.
Looking at the numbers, no one can deny that Valverde is growing as a playmaker. But at the end of the day, he is still far behind the German. The way Kroos receives the ball from the back, turns it around and develops it is something that Valverde or any other player can hardly do.
While the Uruguayan makes more passes and touches, he is still far behind Kroos in other areas. Valverde averages 79.8 touches per game, compared to Kroos' 112.5.
The difference between the two becomes even more apparent when they move into the opposition half. In the final third, Kroos averages nearly 14 passes per game (compared to Valverde's 7.84).
That number, combined with key passes, shots and assists, explains why Real Madrid's forwards are getting fewer chances.
Valverde is having a fantastic start to the season, perhaps the best campaign of his career, but the 26-year-old cannot be expected to have the same impact as Kroos.
