Xanet Oláiz Scouting Report: How Alavés’s Left-Footed Centre-Back Plays

Quick Answer

Xanet Oláiz Ibarzábal is a left-footed centre-back, born on 18 July 2005 in Astigarraga, a small town just outside San Sebastián. Rather than take the obvious route into Real Sociedad’s Zubieta academy, he joined Deportivo Alavés at Ibaia as a cadete in 2019-20 and has climbed one rung a season since: C team, B team, then a regular starter in the B side that reached the 2025-26 promotion play-offs. Alavés extended his deal to June 2028 in April 2026. He made his first-team bow in the Copa del Rey at Portugalete in December 2025 and his LaLiga debut on 6 September 2026, replacing Jonny Otto late in a 5-2 win over Osasuna. The reason he matters right now: with Ville Koski injured on international duty and Facundo Garcés out with a cruciate ligament tear, Alavés have only two specialist centre-backs left, Nicolás Valentini and Xanet. He is not a transfer target today, but the next few weeks could hand him his first meaningful LaLiga minutes.

Player Profile

Career and Transfer History

Season Statistics (2023-2027)

Data note: sources disagree on the length of his LaLiga debut (10 vs 15 minutes), most likely because of how the substitution time and stoppage time are counted. In 2025-26 he logged 2,566 minutes in 29 games, about 88 per match: he was a 90-minute starter for the B team, not a rotation option. His B-team minutes this season could not be verified in public sources and are left out. Advanced defensive metrics (duel success, aerial win rate, pass accuracy) are not reliably published for Segunda Federación and have not been used.

Who is he? From Astigarraga to Ibaia

Xanet Oláiz was born on 18 July 2005 in Astigarraga, a town on the edge of San Sebastián. For a talented kid from that corner of Gipuzkoa, the natural pathway usually runs through Real Sociedad’s Zubieta. Xanet went another way: in 2019-20, as a cadete, he joined Deportivo Alavés’s Ibaia academy in Vitoria. Seven seasons later he is still there, having moved up a level almost every year.

BeSoccer also lists one appearance each for Spain’s U18 and U19 sides. That comes from a single source, but if accurate it shows he was on the federation’s radar early.

Step by step: C team, B team, play-offs

His path is close to a textbook case of how Alavés want their academy to work. In 2023-24 he played 26 games for the C team in Tercera Federación and scored 4 goals, a notable return for a centre-back. In 2024-25 he stepped up to the B team in Segunda Federación and logged just over 2,000 minutes. In 2025-26 he became a fixture: 2,566 minutes across 29 league games, which means he finished almost every match he started.

That season was a historic one for the B team. ‘Molo’ Casas’s side reached the play-offs for promotion to Primera Federación before going out to Real Jaén, with Xanet playing the full 90 in both legs. The club’s April 2026 extension statement highlighted his defensive solidity, commitment and capacity to grow, and the new deal runs until June 2028.

First-team door: from Portugalete to Osasuna

His first taste of senior football came under Eduardo Coudet in December 2025, a brief cameo in a 0-3 Copa del Rey win at Portugalete. After Quique Sánchez Flores took over in March 2026, Xanet remained a regular presence in first-team training and matchday squads.

The real milestone arrived on 6 September 2026. With Lucas Boyé scoring a hat-trick and Alavés cruising past Osasuna 5-2 at Mendizorroza, Xanet replaced Jonny Otto and picked up his first LaLiga minutes. It was a late, low-pressure cameo, so it says little about his level. What it does say is that the staff now consider him ready for league duty.

Why now? Koski’s injury and the centre-back shortage

The timing of this report is no accident. October’s international break hurt Alavés badly: Ville Koski, one of their most consistent defenders this season, played 90 minutes for Finland against Belarus and then picked up a right quadriceps injury that will keep him out for several weeks. It is a second blow to an already thin position, since Facundo Garcés, who was close to finishing a long suspension, tore his cruciate ligament a few weeks earlier.

Local press put it plainly: going into the Atlético Madrid game (10 October, Mendizorroza), only two natural centre-backs remain, Nicolás Valentini and Xanet. Valentini was good at San Mamés in the last game before the break and is the favourite to step in. But a back five needs three centre-backs, so Quique must either lean on versatile players such as Tenaglia, Jonny Otto or Protesoni, or bring Xanet into the rotation. A third option, floated by Noticias de Álava, is switching to a 4-4-2, which would remove the need for a third centre-back and shrink Xanet’s chances.

In short, his minutes over the coming weeks depend more on Quique’s system choice than on his own form. Alavés’s Copa del Rey first-round tie against Azkoitia looks like the most realistic opening.

Position and role: a left-footed centre-back

The platform data is consistent: around 87% of his matches at centre-back, the rest at left-back. Being left-footed makes him a natural left-sided centre-back in a back three. That matters, because at Alavés the same role belongs to another left-footer, Valentini. Koski, by contrast, is a right-footed, duel-heavy central or right-sided defender. So Xanet is not a like-for-like replacement for Koski. The more likely solutions are Valentini moving into the middle with Xanet on the left, or Tenaglia covering the right.

Physically (BeSoccer, single source) he stands 1.83 m and weighs 75 kg, a little under average height for a LaLiga centre-back. That puts more weight on positioning and timing in aerial duels. His spells at left-back suggest he is comfortable defending wide spaces, although detailed records of those games are not public.

Playing style: in and out of possession

Out of possession, the trait the club and local press stress first is defensive solidity. Playing almost every minute for a B team that reached the play-offs shows the staff trusted his positioning and line management. Eight yellow cards across league and play-offs is a normal figure for a centre-back, and there is no red card on record.

In possession, the main value of a left-footed centre-back is the first pass that opens angles to the left channel and the left wing-back. In a back three, the left centre-back is one of the main exits for build-up. There is no measured data on Xanet’s quality here. His 4 goals in Tercera Federación are a positive hint about his presence at set pieces.

Limits of this assessment: his only top-flight record is 10 to 15 minutes in a game that was already decided. There is no evidence yet on how he defends space against quick forwards, builds under high pressure or holds the line at LaLiga tempo. This report therefore sets out the signals and the open questions rather than a finished profile.

Turkish Süper Lig fit

Short answer: not a Süper Lig target today. He is 21, has one LaLiga appearance and has spent his career in Spain’s fourth and fifth tiers. Alavés have tied him down until 2028 and will not let him go in the middle of a defensive injury crisis.

What makes the profile interesting from a Turkish perspective is scarcity: left-footed centre-backs are always in demand for Süper Lig sides that play a back three or want to build from the left centre-back. Realistic label: watch list. If he earns regular LaLiga minutes in the coming weeks, the picture changes fast. If not, a loan season in LaLiga Hypermotion in 2027 would produce a far better dataset to judge him on.

Which Turkish clubs would suit him?

Teams playing with three centre-backs. A left-footer is a natural fit for the left centre-back slot in a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2.

Clubs that develop and sell young players. An EU passport, a low market value and an academy background suit that model, although his contract to 2028 means only a loan or a deal with a sell-on clause is realistic.

Risky for now at teams defending with a high line and lots of space behind. His ability to defend open space against quick forwards has not been tested at a high level.

This section is a profile match, not a transfer recommendation for any specific club. Squads and coaches should be checked at the time of reading.

Ideal team-mates

• A right-footed, aggressive central defender. A Koski-type partner would let Xanet focus on passing and covering on the left.
• A quick left wing-back. Someone to protect the channel behind him and carry his first pass forward.
• A disciplined holding midfielder. An Antonio Blanco or Ander Guevara type in front of the defence reduces the space a young centre-back has to deal with.

Best systems: 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 (left centre-back). In a back four he can play left centre-back or, if needed, left-back.

Foreign-player status and work permits

Turkey: as a Spanish citizen he counts as a foreign player; the Turkish federation’s regulations for the relevant season should be checked before any move.

European Union: as an EU citizen he faces no quota issues in EU leagues.

Spanish registration: born in 2005, he is still under 23 this season. Under Spanish registration rules this means he can keep playing for the B team even after official first-team appearances, giving Alavés flexibility and the player a guarantee of minutes.

England: with no top-flight minutes or senior caps, he would not currently meet the Governing Body Endorsement threshold. This is not legal advice.

Injuries and availability

No significant injury record was found for Xanet in public sources. Playing 27 and 29 league games in his two B-team seasons points to strong availability. This is not a medical assessment.

Which leagues suit him?

LaLiga: a rotation centre-back given Alavés’s current injury list; the Copa del Rey and short-staffed weeks are the first openings.

LaLiga Hypermotion (Spain’s second tier): the most sensible development step for 2027-28, offering regular starts at a tempo close to the top flight.

Primera Federación: he has already proved himself in Segunda Federación; a loan one level up from there no longer looks necessary.

Turkish 1. Lig / Süper Lig: not now; at the earliest once he has top-flight minutes on record.

Related reports

If you are following this player, these GegenSports Deportivo Alavés reports are also worth reading:

• Ville Koski scouting report — the centre-back whose injury opened the door
• Nicolás Valentini scouting report — his left-footed rival for the same role
• Facundo Garcés scouting report — out long-term with a cruciate injury
• Jonny Otto scouting report — the versatile defender he replaced on his LaLiga debut

Strengths

• Academy continuity — Seven seasons at Ibaia; climbed through the C and B teams on schedule and started at every level.
• Ninety-minute player — 2,566 minutes in 29 league games in 2025-26, about 88 per match, plus the full 180 in the play-offs.
• Left foot — A natural left centre-back in a back three; a structural edge for the first pass into the left channel.
• Club backing — Extension to 2028, first-team exposure under two coaches, a LaLiga debut and now one of two specialist centre-backs left.
• Registration flexibility — As an under-23 he can play for both the first team and the B team, so he is unlikely to lose minutes.

Development Areas and Risks

• No top-level evidence — One LaLiga appearance: 10 to 15 minutes at the end of a game already decided.
• Height — 1.83 m (single source) is below average for a LaLiga centre-back; timing in the air is key.
• Role overlap — As a left-footer, his natural role is Valentini’s; he is not a direct fit for Koski’s central/right slot.
• System dependence — If Quique switches to a 4-4-2, the need for a third centre-back disappears and so does much of his opportunity.
• Unmeasured metrics — No reliable duel, aerial or passing data for Segunda Federación; the profile rests largely on qualitative sources.

Cost Scenarios

GegenSports Scout Ratings (/100)

These ratings are a GegenSports editorial assessment and are not copied from any external platform. They are based mainly on his minutes and role in the 2024-26 Segunda Federación seasons and on club and local press assessments. His single short LaLiga appearance was not treated as decisive. Technical quality and attacking contribution are rated cautiously because no measured passing data is available.

Similar Players

Sporting Director’s Note

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources and Data Note

This report combines club announcements, local press and comparative statistics platforms. Tactical analysis is GegenSports’s own scouting work and is not taken from any other scouting platform. Conflicting data points (length of his LaLiga debut) are flagged in the text. Single-source data (height and weight, market value, youth caps) is marked as such.

• Deportivo Alavés official announcement — 19 April 2026, ‘Xanet Olaiz, albiazul hasta 2028’
• Noticias de Álava — 19 April 2026 (extension, place and date of birth, joined the academy in 2019-20, 28 games / 1 goal), 4 October 2026 (Koski injury, remaining specialist centre-backs), 5 October 2026 (defensive options after Koski)
• EFE / Infobae — 19 April 2026 (contract extension) and 6 September 2026 (LaLiga debut, replacing Jonny Otto)
• FútbolFantasy — 5 October 2026, Alavés training report (Mikel Rodríguez, Garcés and Koski injured; next game Atlético Madrid)
• BeSoccer — full name, height, weight, foot, position split, minutes and cards by season, market value estimate, youth international record
• LaLiga.com — 2026-27 standings (after MD7)

Last updated: 6 October 2026