De Arrascaeta or Alan Patrick? Who is the best midfielder in Brazil in 2024?

Alan Patrick and De Arrascaeta are simply tearing it up at the start of this year.

Coincidentally, Inter and Flamengo are the teams with the best performance so far (87% and 83%, respectively).

Join us as we analyze these two Brazilian football stars.

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Giorgian De Arrascaeta

Born in Nuevo Berlin, Uruguay, on June 1, 1994, the popular Arrasca is undoubtedly one of the greatest midfielders in Brazilian football in the 21st century.

He came up through the youth ranks at Defensor, a Uruguayan club based in Montevideo.

His first steps in professional football were in 2012, also for Defensor, the only club he represented in his homeland.

He stayed there until 2015, scoring 18 goals in 64 games.

With his impressive performances, he caught the attention of Cruzeiro, who was in splendid form. Having just won the Brasileirão twice, in 2013 and 2014, the environment at Raposa’s den was conducive to the arrival of a player of De Arrascaeta’s quality.

A great investment of €2 million was made. He adapted very well to Brazilian football, playing in 35 games and scoring 5 goals in his first year.

We can already tell that one of Arrasca’s trademarks is his consistency, rarely experiencing periods of low performance. Most of the time, he has remained at a high level, which is reflected in his statistics.

In 2016, he scored 11 goals and provided 9 assists in 40 games.

Starting from 2017, he began his spectacular run of titles, starting with the Copa do Brasil, which he won again in 2018.

Interestingly, he scored in both finals, showing his character as a decisive player.

Also in 2018, he won the Campeonato Mineiro.

From 2019, Flamengo decided to assemble a true selection. To fill the space in midfield, nothing better than the most talked-about player in Brazil. Therefore, Rubro Negro spared no effort and paid the incredible amount of €15 million, considered extraordinary in Brazilian football, especially at that time.

And what a great move it was. He is part of Flamengo’s golden generation, which needs no introduction. Twice winner of the Libertadores, Brasileirão, and Supercopa do Brasil, as well as the Copa do Brasil, Recopa Sul-americana, and three-time Carioca champion.

In total, he has played 240 games for the Rio club, scoring 63 goals and providing 84 assists.

As if that weren’t enough, he is a World Cup player, having played in 2018 and 2022. The Celeste’s fans, in fact, demand more opportunities for Arrasca in World Cup games, especially after the final match, when he scored two goals against Ghana.

As a player, he is a unique number 10. An athlete who knows exactly where to position himself at specific moments of the match, according to what the game demands at the time.

A high-standard athlete. He thinks quickly and makes the play before it even reaches his feet.

Furthermore, the 113 goals of his career so far demonstrate his excessive finishing ability, focusing on shots from inside the area, always stepping into the final quadrant to finish.

Finally, the 123 assists of his career so far translate the intelligence of the player, always serving his teammates in conditions to finish. The fact that he has spent much of his career with Gabigol and Bruno Henrique helps.

Jokes aside, Arrascaeta starts the year 2024 flying in the Campeonato Carioca. In 9 games (not all as a starter), he has three goals and four assists.

The midfield formed by Tite with De La Cruz, a more intense player, but also contributing to creation, has provided great freedom for Arrasca to focus on finishing and creating. On some occasions, he has been assisted by his compatriot.

Expectations are high for Flamengo and Arrascaeta this year.

Image: André Durão

Alan Patrick

Born in Catanduva, in the interior of São Paulo, on May 13, 1991, Alan Patrick is experiencing the peak of his career at 32, for Internacional.

He is another Boy from Vila. Developed in the youth ranks of Santos, he was part of the super squads of Peixe in 2010 and 2011.

Although a reserve for Paulo Henrique Ganso, he was important in winning the Libertadores in 2011, scoring the equalizing goal against Once Caldas in the first leg of the quarterfinals.

Immediately after the victory in the continental cup, he was sold to Shakhtar Donetsk, a Ukrainian club known for bringing in various Brazilian players.

There, Alan Patrick experienced ups and downs, alternating between good and bad moments.

He was signed at just twenty years old. Soon, the Ukrainian club loaned him out in 2013. His destination was Internacional, marking his first stint at the Gaúcho club.

Still a young player, he put in some good performances but did not establish himself as a starter, although his contract was renewed.

The lack of opportunities at the Ukrainian club led to his loan with Inter being extended until 2015.

His next destination was Palmeiras, where he played very little, only thirteen times.

As a result, he was loaned out again, this time to Flamengo. At Gávea, he began to show his true footballing ability. Between 2015 and 2016, he played 72 games, scored 15 goals, and provided 10 assists.

Now more experienced, he finally returned to Shakhtar Donetsk, where he became the player the Ukrainians believed he would be when he was signed.

He was a three-time Ukrainian Cup champion and four-time Ukrainian Premier League champion, being an important player.

From the 2016/17 season to the 2020/21 season, Alan Patrick’s Shakhtar was a unanimous choice in the national scene. Additionally, the midfielder played and scored in the infamous Champions League.

In total, he played 178 games, scored 26 goals, and provided 35 assists wearing the orange and black jersey.

Like many players in this market, his stay in Ukraine became untenable due to the war with Russia, especially as Donetsk, where he was based, is on the verge of being annexed.

Therefore, Inter didn’t hesitate to pay the meager sum of €2 million to bring him in, in 2022.

The return to Colorado could not have been more beneficial for his career. Since his arrival, he has been playing top-notch football.

So far, he has played 138 games, scored 28 goals (two more than at Shakhtar, with 40 games and fewer) and provided 22 assists.

In Inter’s midfield, Alan Patrick has the freedom to float between the opponent’s lines, where most of the time he pulls a rabbit out of the hat.

He finds spaces where other players don’t usually, making a perfect read of the penetrations and runs of the forwards.

Especially in 2024, with the real squad that the People’s Team is assembling, with Enner Valência, Alario, and Borré as forward options, Alan Patrick should increase his assist count even more.

He is also a player of great goals. He scored several beautiful goals in 2023 and seems to be continuing with this pattern in the current season.

Image: Reproduction Internacional

Arrasca or Alan Patrick?

We can say that both have complementary careers.

While De Arrascaeta had a brilliant career on the national scene, being considered one of the greatest players in Brazilian football in the 21st century and in Flamengo’s history, Alan Patrick took the opposite path.

Even though he won the Copa Libertadores with Santos in 2011, he was not a standout player for the team.

For the other clubs he played for in Brazil, he also did not succeed when it comes to significant titles.

On the other hand, he achieved the dream of many players, which is to perform well in European football. We understand that Shakhtar Donetsk is a high-level club for Ukraine but a second-tier one in European leagues. Nevertheless, Alan Patrick had the opportunity to play in important tournaments like the Europa League and the Champions League.

De Arrascaeta, on the other hand, did not have the opportunity to play in the European market, even though he had the talent for it. Now, at 29, this seems to be a distant dream.

Today, they are part of those who can be considered the strongest teams for the 2024 season. Inter and Flamengo will probably compete for the most important titles, except for the Libertadores, for which Colorado did not qualify.

It is very difficult to choose between one or the other. The most important point would be the type of game used by the coach, as well as the playing style of his teammates.

De Arrascaeta has more ease in penetrating the area, as De La Cruz can share the playmaking duties with him. Alan Patrick, on the other hand, is the most cerebral player on the Colorado team.

The fact is that we have less than fifteen games in the year, and it is still difficult to answer this question.

So, for you, who will be the best midfielder in Brazil in 2024? Alan Patrick, Arrascaeta, or someone else?

Written by Vitor F L Miller.