Carlos Protesoni Scouting Report: Two Positions, One Squad Slot

Quick Answer

Carlos Protesoni is a Uruguayan central midfielder who has been on Deportivo Alavés’ books for four seasons. He stands 1.85 m, is right-footed, and is far closer to a screening anchor than a deep-lying playmaker: his job is to shut down the space in front of the back line, cut passing angles with his body and win the second ball. The whole file turns on one tension. He has slid steadily down the pecking order since 2022-23, yet in June 2026 the club extended his deal by two seasons to 30 June 2028. The explanation is positional versatility. Under Quique Sánchez Flores’ back-five system Protesoni has been used not only as a holding midfielder but as a central defender, and for part of one match effectively as an inverted right-back. Alavés kept him not as a starter but as insurance covering three positions with a single squad slot. His two best assets are that flexibility and the aerial presence his frame gives him on set pieces; his two clearest problems are recurring muscle injuries and a scoring and creating output that has fallen to zero over the last two seasons. He has played 19 minutes in the opening three rounds of 2026-27. For clubs shopping outside Spain the reading is straightforward: a 28-year-old with more than 100 La Liga appearances, an Italian passport alongside his Uruguayan one, and a market value under one million euros. Not a fit for a side demanding a guaranteed starter — but a sensible answer for a budget-conscious team playing a back three that wants one squad slot to cover both the number six and the centre-back rotation.

Player Card

Career and Transfer History

Season Statistics (2022-26 and start of 2026-27)

This table was compiled by cross-checking the official LaLiga player page, FotMob, Soccerway, Flashscore, ESPN, FútbolFantasy and the English and Spanish Wikipedia entries. The sources disagree substantially: one platform records 29 league appearances in 2023-24 while another records 10, and career totals range from 130 to 164 appearances and 9 to 14 goals. The gaps most likely come from whether domestic cup and continental fixtures are counted. Rather than forcing a single figure, ranges are given and the conflict is stated openly. The 2026-27 sample is just 19 minutes, so no per-90 rate has been calculated anywhere in this report.

Who is he? From Montevideo to Vitoria, from Benavídez to Protesoni

Carlos Nahuel Benavídez Protesoni was born in Montevideo on 30 March 1998. He came through the academy at Defensor Sporting, one of Uruguay’s established producers of talent, and made his professional debut on 11 April 2016, aged eighteen. His two seasons in the senior side returned 52 appearances and 2 goals.

The rise was quick. In 2017 he won the South American U20 Championship in Ecuador with Uruguay, and later that year the team finished fourth at the U20 World Cup. His U20 record stands at 29 caps and 4 goals. That generation was one of the more heavily exported cohorts in recent Uruguayan football, and in 2018 Protesoni moved to Argentina to join Independiente. Platform records put the fee at around €2.20m, which remains the highest of his career.

The Independiente spell brought trophies but very little football. He won the Copa Sudamericana and the Suruga Bank Championship in 2018, and his market value peaked at €1.60m on 31 December that year. Yet across four seasons he made only 26 league appearances. He saw out his contract and joined Deportivo Alavés on a free transfer on 1 July 2022, signing a two-year deal.

One biographical detail is the most human element in the file. He played under the name Carlos Benavídez until August 2024, when the name on his shirt changed to Protesoni — his mother’s surname. He explained the decision as a tribute to the mother who raised him alone. Because several databases still index him under the old name, any scout searching for him has to run both; in practice this has left his career record fragmented across sources.

2022-25: from first choice to rotation

When he arrived in the summer of 2022 Alavés were in the second tier and chasing promotion. Protesoni established himself as the first-choice holding midfielder in the second half of that season. Local reporting tied the change to Ander Guevara’s physical decline late in the campaign; Protesoni took the opening and became an undisputed starter. The club went up.

His first La Liga season, 2023-24, is on paper his most productive — although how much he actually played is genuinely unclear. One statistics platform lists 29 league appearances and a 6.80 average rating; another lists only 10 for the same season. Both record three goals. Discrepancies of this size usually come from different treatment of substitute appearances or the inclusion of cup fixtures. This report does not impose a single number.

In 2024-25 he made 18 league appearances with a goal and an assist. That goal — an 85th-minute strike against Real Madrid — remains the last of his career. The direction of travel was already downward. In October 2024 a Spanish football site noted that Protesoni was the third least-used player in the Alavés squad with 212 minutes, and reported that the player wanted more responsibility. The same piece referred to him as one of the club’s captains, which is itself telling: even then there was a gap between his standing in the dressing room and his minutes on the pitch.

Read together, these three seasons describe a player who reached a peak at Alavés and then came down from it gradually. The descent had less to do with a collapse in performance than with sustained recruitment into the same area of the pitch.

2025-26: a 209-minute league season and the muscle file

2025-26 was the toughest of the four, for two distinct reasons.

The first was competition. Alavés signed Denis Suárez on a free that summer, brought in Pablo Ibáñez from Osasuna on a free and handed him a five-year contract immediately, and made Carles Aleñá’s move permanent. Antonio Blanco was already fixed as the single pivot. Behind that four-man core Protesoni dropped to fifth choice; local press wrote that he spent multiple matchdays unused on the bench even in weeks when he was physically available.

The second was injury. In March 2026 he suffered a muscle injury in the 30th minute away at Valencia and did not play again after 8 March for an extended spell, with no official medical bulletin from the club. Injury trackers log the absence as roughly two months between March and May.

The numbers match the picture. In La Liga he made 7 appearances for 209 minutes, two of them starts, with no goals or assists and two yellow cards. Across all competitions the sources range from 13 to 17 matches. For context, across the whole of the 2025 calendar year he accumulated 296 minutes in 15 appearances — an average per outing that does not reach twenty minutes.

May 2026 changed the picture somewhat. Alavés were just above the relegation line and Sánchez Flores turned back to him in the closing weeks. Local press described the return as if the club had made a late-season signing. The important detail is where those minutes came: not only in midfield, but as a central defender inside the back five.

June 2026: the club that extended him to 2028

His contract was due to expire on 30 June 2026. For a midfielder approaching thirty whose minutes had evaporated and whose goal and assist output had fallen to nothing, the standard outcome is a free release. Alavés did the opposite.

In early June 2026 the club confirmed a two-season extension taking the deal to 30 June 2028. Local reporting described months of negotiation during which a departure had looked likely more than once. Quique Sánchez Flores was named as the figure behind the decision, and the reasoning was stated explicitly: the player can operate both as a central midfielder and as a centre-back.

This is the pivotal paragraph of the report from a recruitment standpoint. Alavés kept Protesoni not as a candidate for the starting eleven but as a flexibility asset — one squad slot covering two positions. For a La Liga club with a modest budget that is an entirely rational choice: in a twenty-five-man squad you cannot carry both a sixth midfielder and a fourth centre-back, but you can carry one player who does both jobs.

For an outside club the same decision cuts two ways. Positively, the player is not regarded as a professional problem — he was retained at the direct request of the coaching staff. Negatively, a contract running to 2028 hands Alavés full negotiating leverage and pushes any free-transfer window two years down the line.

Position and role: not a builder, a closer

Classifying Protesoni correctly is the most important technical task in this file, because platforms place him in different boxes. The official LaLiga record and Wikipedia list him as a central midfielder; one statistics platform labels him directly as a centre-back; fantasy sites offer holding midfielder, central midfielder and centre-back as three parallel options. A scout filtering by position will simply miss him.

The real on-pitch role is not that of a deep-lying playmaker. Protesoni does not drop between the centre-backs to start possession; he is closer to an anchor — a player who occupies the space in front of the defence, limits the opposition’s passing angles with his body shape and reaches second balls first. You do not build your first phase around him. You use him as the safety net behind the player who does.

That reading is consistent with the shape of his goalscoring record. His returns look low for a midfielder until you account for the fact that a clear share of his goals have come from set pieces and late arrivals into the box. The recurring assessment in local coverage was that despite playing in a withdrawn position, his aerial strength let him close seasons with respectable numbers. At 1.85 m and 76 kg he carries a frame above the La Liga midfield average.

His second position, central defender, surfaced in the spring of 2026. When Sánchez Flores took over he switched to a back five and Protesoni featured inside the three. Local coverage also described a passage of one match in which the side was stretched across the pitch and Protesoni was effectively acting as a false right-back. That third use is a single-match observation and should not be presented as an established role.

Note: the tactical assessments in this section are GegenSports editorial scouting analysis. This report uses no third-party heat map or radar chart, and because no public event data is available for the player, no season heat map has been produced.

2026-27: 19 minutes and where he actually sits

The new season began with an injury. In late July 2026 he picked up a right knee problem at Alavés’ pre-season camp and began training away from the group, with no timeline released by the club. Follow-up reporting dated 6 August 2026 described him working with the ball outside the group and closing in on a return, though a matchday-one appearance looked unlikely. Injury records also show a further short absence between 9 and 14 August.

He was unused in the first two rounds (Getafe on 15 August, Rayo Vallecano on 20 August). His first involvement came in round three: on for Ángel Pérez in the 72nd minute at Mendizorroza on 28 August 2026, as Alavés beat Villarreal 1-0 through Lucas Boyé. The official record reads one appearance, 19 minutes, average rating 6.37.

The minute and the position should be read together. Alavés were playing 5-3-2 and leading 1-0; Protesoni came on for the right wing-back. The instruction was not to add attacking weight but to lock down the right channel and see out the result. That is the clearest available signal of the role the staff currently assign him: not a player who changes the character of a match, but one who closes it.

Alavés finished the opening three rounds on seven points and their best start in years (3-0 v Getafe, 1-1 v Rayo Vallecano, 1-0 v Villarreal), with Sánchez Flores using 19 different players. A player receiving 19 minutes while the team is winning and the rotation is wide sits clearly behind the first-choice eleven. In the window that closed on 1 September 2026, the only departure from Alavés was Jesús Owono; Protesoni stayed and entered the first season of his extension.

Why the sample size limits every conclusion here

A warning is necessary before the strengths and weaknesses below. A player who logged 209 La Liga minutes in 2025-26 and 19 minutes so far in 2026-27 cannot support a statistically robust current performance profile. No per-90 rate has been calculated anywhere in this report, and none should be.

The assessments that follow are therefore drawn from three separate layers: recurring behaviours visible in the larger minute samples of 2022 to 2024, the situations and positions in which the coaching staff have chosen to use him in 2025-26 and 2026-27, and the pattern in the publicly documented injury record. Not drawing large conclusions from small samples is the governing rule of this file.

Which leagues and which clubs suit him?

Spain’s LaLiga Hypermotion. The lowest-adaptation option by some distance: he knows the country, the language and the level. At a second-tier club with promotion ambitions he could be close to a regular starter.

Portugal’s Primeira Liga and the Belgian Pro League. Reasonable technical level, measured budgets, and markets built around South Americans holding EU passports. A logical band for clubs operating a resale model.

Turkey’s Süper Lig. The physical, contact-heavy character of the league fits his strengths, and four years in the Argentine Primera División means the intensity is nothing new. Crucially, the ability to move between number six and centre-back means one foreign-player slot covers two positions, which carries real weight under Turkish federation squad rules. He is a rotation option there, not a guaranteed starter.

Gulf leagues. A plausible wage-led career decision at twenty-eight, though the injury record deserves weight given fixture density and physical load.

Less suitable: the Premier League and the Championship, on work-permit grounds and tempo. The Eredivisie, where a high defensive line and possession-first structure sit awkwardly against his profile.

By club type, the natural fit is a mid-table side playing a back three that needs one slot to cover both the holding role and centre-back cover. The poor fit is a possession-dominant side that asks its number six for rhythm and first-pass quality — there he would slow the game rather than speed it up.

Ideal team-mates and formation fit

Most effective shape: 3-5-2 or 5-3-2, either as the middle of the back three or as the defensive leg of a midfield three. This is precisely how Alavés have used him since spring 2026.

Second-best shape: the defensive half of a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1, alongside an eight who can carry and pass forward. Protesoni is not the player who plays that pass; he is the player who covers behind whoever does.

Where he struggles: a single-pivot 4-3-3 with a high line. In a structure that regularly leaves him isolated with space behind, the pace limitation becomes visible.

Profiles he needs around him: a ball-progressing eight to carry the build-up burden; a quick covering centre-back to handle the space in behind; wing-backs who fill the wide channels so he can stay central; and a reliable right-footed set-piece taker if his aerial presence in the box is going to be monetised.

Injury and availability file

This is the most concrete risk item in the report and deserves its own heading.

Public records show multiple absences since 2018, and the pattern over the past two years is clearly muscular. Several thigh and muscle-related absences during 2024-25, a muscle injury in March 2025, and a further muscle injury in March 2026 sustained in the 30th minute away at Valencia which cost roughly two months. On top of that come the right knee problem at the July 2026 pre-season camp and a short absence between 9 and 14 August 2026.

An important caveat: Alavés published no official medical bulletin for most of these absences, and injury databases themselves note that their records may be incomplete. No medical diagnosis is offered here, and no prediction is made about future injuries.

Two things are nonetheless measurable for planning purposes. First, his minutes have been low over the past two calendar years even in the weeks when he was fit, so the absences alone do not explain the drop. Second, recurring muscular problems directly affect a player’s capacity to play consecutive fixtures; this profile should not be planned as a weekly starter in a two-games-a-week calendar.

Risk class: between moderate and pronounced. One fantasy platform classifies his 2026-27 injury risk as medium; given the frequency of the absences, this report reads him closer to the upper end of that band.

Registration status and work permits

European Union: because he holds Italian citizenship alongside Uruguayan, he does not occupy a non-EU quota place at clubs in EU countries. This is a meaningful practical advantage in Spain, Italy and Portugal, and is one of the administrative reasons Alavés have been able to keep him on the books for four years.

Turkey: he would count as a foreign player, and having been born in 1998 he falls outside any young-foreigner allowance. There is no public record of Turkish citizenship. Because the Turkish federation’s foreign-player rules change between seasons, the regulation in force for the relevant season must be checked before any move.

England: the Governing Body Endorsement picture is difficult. He has no senior Uruguay caps and his club minutes over the last two seasons are very low, and both of those are decisive inputs in the points-based system. On current public information, automatic eligibility should not be assumed. A definitive view requires specialist assessment against the thresholds in force at the time of application; this report offers no legal opinion.

Alternatives: how to build the search

If a club is looking at this band, the search should be structured as follows. Profiles rather than names are given here, because a name recommendation is only meaningful once the buying club’s budget, system and foreign-player allocation are known.

• Holding midfielders in La Liga and LaLiga Hypermotion entering the final year of a contract — €500k to €1.5m, aged 26 to 30. This is Protesoni’s direct competitor pool.
• Number sixes who can also play centre-back — this should be the primary filter. Since positional flexibility is his core value, a list of pure holding midfielders is not a valid comparison set.
• South American midfielders with EU passports — Portuguese, Belgian and Spanish second-tier squads supply this profile steadily, usually below the one-million-euro mark.
• Experienced pivots heading for free agency — since Protesoni is contracted to 2028, free options are cost-advantaged in every scenario.
• Holding midfielders aged 22 to 24 with resale value — if the club wants a long-horizon investment, the same budget should be tested against an alternative with the age curve in its favour.

Current contract status, injury history and last-two-season minutes must be verified separately for every alternative.

Strengths

• Positional flexibility — the core value in this file — Central midfield, central defence and, if needed, an inverted right-back role. This was the reason the coaching staff gave for the June 2026 extension. In a twenty-five-man squad, covering two positions with one slot is a concrete economic asset.
• Frame and aerial presence — At 1.85 m and 76 kg he is above the La Liga midfield average physically. The recurring assessment in local coverage was that his aerial strength let him close seasons with respectable numbers despite playing in a withdrawn position.
• Screening the space in front of the defence — Not a playmaker. His job is to limit passing angles, reach second balls first and keep the corridor ahead of the back line narrow. He was a starter in exactly this role during Alavés’ promotion season in 2022-23.
• High-level competitive experience — Copa Sudamericana and Suruga Bank Championship winner, Copa Libertadores minutes, a South American U20 title and a fourth-place finish at the U20 World Cup. A career file built under pressure.
• Proven adaptation record — He has played in three countries — Uruguay, Argentina and Spain — and has spent four seasons in Spain. Language and cultural friction would be near zero in a Spanish-speaking environment, and the three-country record is a positive signal elsewhere.
• Standing inside the club — In October 2024 local press referred to him as one of the Alavés captains. Holding that standing while his minutes fell, and being retained at the direct request of the coaching staff, is a positive professionalism marker.
• EU passport — Italian citizenship means he does not take up a non-EU place in leagues that operate such quotas — an advantage that never shows up in a transfer fee but works directly in squad planning.

Weaknesses and Risks

• Recurring muscle injuries — Multiple thigh and muscle absences since 2024, a roughly two-month layoff from March 2026 and a right knee problem at the July 2026 pre-season camp. The club published no official medical bulletins, so detail is limited — but the pattern itself is an availability risk.
• Output has fallen to zero — His last career goal came in 2024-25. No goals or assists in 209 La Liga minutes in 2025-26, and 19 minutes so far in 2026-27. Set-piece contribution was once a credit line in this file; it has not converted over the past two seasons.
• Insufficient sample size — Two seasons of league minutes are not enough to build a current performance profile. Any club buying him is deciding on 2022-24 data or on live scouting; the current statistics alone cannot carry the decision.
• Pace and defending large spaces — The profile is built on positioning and physique, not speed. He struggles behind high defensive lines that leave open ground, which is the principal weakness in single-pivot systems.
• Age and development margin — At twenty-eight the technical development margin is limited. He should be bought at today’s level; no investment narrative should be built on potential.
• Fragmented data record — The August 2024 name change has scattered his career record across two names, and appearance totals vary from 130 to 164 between platforms. That means extra verification work during due diligence.

Cost Scenarios

GegenSports Scout Ratings (/100)

These ratings are GegenSports editorial assessments. They are not taken from any football simulation, paid data provider or other scouting platform. The evaluation is built on career minutes, league level, the roles actually played, the public injury record, contract status and cost band. Because the minute samples of the last two seasons are small, these ratings carry a wider margin of uncertainty than usual.

Comparable Profiles

Sporting Director’s Note

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources and Data Note

This report was compiled by cross-checking the official LaLiga player page, Deportivo Alavés club records, FotMob, Soccerway, Flashscore, ESPN, FútbolFantasy, Jornada Perfecta, Noticias de Álava, Gasteiz Hoy and the English and Spanish Wikipedia entries. The tactical assessments are GegenSports editorial scouting analysis; no third-party scout ratings, radar charts or heat maps have been used. Conflicts identified between sources over appearance counts, career totals, height and shirt number are stated openly within the text. Data is valid as of 6 September 2026.

• Official LaLiga player profile — shirt number, height, weight and 2026-27 season record
• Deportivo Alavés official squad page
• FotMob — season statistics, average match ratings and market value record
• Soccerway and Flashscore — career breakdown, transfer history and injury records
• ESPN — squad list and season-by-season appearance records
• FútbolFantasy — match-by-match minutes, positional classification and injury risk note
• Jornada Perfecta — 6 August 2026 report on the knee injury and return process
• Noticias de Álava — June 2026 contract extension report, May 2026 return coverage and defensive-planning analysis
• Gasteiz Hoy — contract extension announcement
• English and Spanish Wikipedia — career table, international record and the name change
• Infobae and El Desmarque — 28 August 2026 Alavés v Villarreal match report and confirmed line-ups

Last updated: 6 September 2026