Roberto Fernández

Key strength: Link-up play

Target man

At the bottom of La Liga, RCD Espanyol Barcelona find themselves in a desperate relegation fight, anchored in 20th place with form reading DWWLL. Yet in the eye of this storm stands Roberto Fernández, the 24-year-old Spanish centre-forward who has shouldered the burden of the club's survival hopes with remarkable composure. Wearing the iconic number 9, Fernández has been the one constant in a turbulent campaign, racking up 31 appearances and 1,976 minutes of action. His return of 6 goals and 3 assists may seem modest, but in a side starved of creativity, his contributions have been vital. Operating as a classic target man, his hold-up play and link-up intelligence create space for teammates Tyrhys Dolan and Carlos Romero to exploit. What stands out is his discipline—just a single yellow card across 31 outings in a high-pressure environment. With a €10 million market value that belies Espanyol's predicament, Fernández represents both present hope and future asset. As the relegation battle intensifies, his ability to bring others into play while finding the net himself could yet prove the difference between survival and the drop.