Lucas Beltrán

Key strength: Link-up play

Target man

In a Valencia CF side surging unexpectedly to 3rd place in La Liga on the back of a WWDWL run, Argentine striker Lucas Beltrán operates as Rubén Baraja's unheralded tactical fulcrum. The 25-year-old centre-forward has contributed 3 goals and 2 assists across 25 appearances this season, but those modest numbers barely capture his true worth to Los Che. With 1,427 minutes under his belt and an €8 million market valuation, Beltrán is the quintessential target man—offering intelligent hold-up play and deft link-up artistry that unlocks space for pacy teammates. While teammate Hugo Duro commands the spotlight as Valencia's primary marksman, Beltrán provides the graft and craft from his #18 shirt, knitting attacks together with selfless lay-offs that bring wingers into dangerous areas. In Spain's unforgiving top flight, where pragmatism often trumps flash, Beltrán's understated role as the architect rather than the assassin has proven vital to Valencia's surprise Champions League push. His remarkable zero yellow cards across 25 outings speak to a disciplined, cerebral approach—proof that sometimes the players who make others shine matter just as much as those who grab the headlines.