Many fans consider this season to be the ultimate one to put Rodrigo de Paul to the test, as he has already spent four seasons wearing the red-white jersey. The world champion has started the season at a great level, being a regular, decisive starter. Yesterday, he provided the assist for Conor Gallagher to open the scoring before half-time.
It is true that Rodrigo de Paul has always been the centre of attention, especially due to his inconsistency on the field. However, Simeone has always had a lot of faith in the midfielder, even when he was not performing as expected. Now, it seems that he has been able to take that step forward, taking advantage of Pablo Barrios's injury to become more of a protagonist.
Rodrigo de Paul is Leading in La Liga
Over the last few seasons, the Argentine has always received a lot of criticism for not showing a good level on a regular basis. Obviously, he has had periods of very good performance since he joined Atlético de Madrid in the summer of 2021, just after winning LaLiga. Still, figures never lie and with yesterday's assist for Conor Gallagher he has already scored 13 in the last three seasons.
He thus becomes the top assist player in the Spanish championship, surpassing Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde and Mikel Merino. All of his rivals remain at 12 assists , just one behind the world champion with Argentina. This is no small milestone, as it shows that Rodrigo de Paul is key for the red-white team when it comes to generating goals.
The next month could be vital for the future of the former Udinese player, as Pablo Barrios's injury opens up a new position in the centre of the field. The youth player was undisputed for Simeone and will need to have a reliable replacement for the coming weeks. In the case of Rodrigo de Paul, it seems that he has managed to improve his performance after that poor version that was seen in the first match against Villarreal .
He is Highly Loved at Atlético
There is one thing that is undeniable and that is that the player is one of those who has the best relationship with the rest of the squad, something that is evident in the matches. Since his arrival, he has always been highly supported by his teammates, even when the worst moments came. Beyond Simeone's trust, he has always been very close to his compatriots and other heavyweights such as Antoine Griezmann or Koke.
It's going to be a demanding season, but one in which Atlético de Madrid hopes to be able to compete for all the titles until the final stages. To date, Rodrigo de Paul has not been able to lift any trophy with the Colchoneros shirt, a thorn that he wants to get rid of. His next challenge will be the Champions League debut against Leipzig, a team that eliminated the red-whites from the European competition in 2020.