Izei Hernández Scouting Report: How He Plays and Where He Fits

Quick Answer

Izei Hernández is a left-footed winger born in Bilbao on 2 February 2007. He came through Santutxu FC, one of Bizkaia’s busiest grassroots clubs, where his U19 coach was former Athletic and Alavés winger Ibai Gómez, and joined Deportivo Alavés in 2024. After one season with the C team in Tercera Federación he skipped a step and made 30 appearances for Alavés B in Segunda Federación in 2025-26, while also making his senior debut in the Copa del Rey at Portugalete on 2 December 2025. In July 2026 the club extended his contract and Quique Sánchez Flores took him to first-team pre-season as one of eight academy players. So far in 2026-27 he has been an unused substitute in three LaLiga matches (Osasuna, Valencia, Athletic), and on 27 September 2026 he opened the scoring in Alavés B’s 5-2 win at Arosa. The central tension of this file: the club keeps pulling him towards the first team, but the first team’s back-five system has no conventional winger role. A 19-year-old development profile with a low market value and a long contract. Not a transfer target today; one to track for 2027-28.

Player Profile

Career and Transfer History

Season Statistics (2024-2027)

Data note: the 2025-26 goal/assist split differs between sources (4+5 vs 5+1); the club and local press figures are used. BeSoccer’s 1,518 minutes across 30 games works out at roughly 50 minutes per appearance, which suggests he often came on or was withdrawn early, but start counts could not be cross-checked, so no firm conclusion about his role is drawn. The 2026-27 sample is too small for any per-90 metrics.

Who is he? From Santutxu to Ibaia

Izei Hernández was born in Bilbao on 2 February 2007 and grew up in one of Bizkaia’s densest youth football networks at Santutxu FC, a neighbourhood club that sits in Athletic Club’s shadow. His U19 coach there in 2023-24 was Ibai Gómez, a left winger who played for both Athletic and Alavés. Local press still introduces Izei as Gómez’s pupil.

He moved to Deportivo Alavés in 2024-25. A Bilbao-born teenager choosing Alavés is not unusual in Basque football, but it is always noticed. In July 2026 Noticias de Álava reported that he was on the radar of Athletic and several European clubs, which explains why Alavés presented his contract extension that summer as a win.

Two steps in one season

Ibaia’s standard path takes a player through the C team in Tercera Federación before the B team. Izei spent one season with the C team (30 games, 6 goals according to FotMob) and then, aged 18, went straight into Segunda Federación with Alavés B, making 30 appearances. Local press described it as skipping the usual stages of development.

It was a landmark year for the B team too: ‘Molo’ Casas’s side reached the promotion play-off before losing to Real Jaén. Izei was a regular on the left of the attack. The club credits him with 4 goals and 5 assists; BeSoccer has 5 and 1. BeSoccer’s 1,518 minutes over 30 games (about 50 per game) point to a winger used heavily in rotation and as a game-changer rather than a guaranteed 90-minute starter.

The first-team door: six minutes and five benches

His first taste of senior football came under Eduardo Coudet. He travelled to the Camp Nou on 29 November 2025 without playing, made his official debut three days later with six minutes in a 0-3 Copa del Rey win at Portugalete, and sat on the bench again on 6 December as Alavés beat Real Sociedad 1-0.

The coach changed in summer 2026, but his status did not. Quique Sánchez Flores called up eight B-team players for pre-season, and local reporting singled out Izei and Aitor Mañas. He had a good first half against Eibar and did not play at Girona. Once the league started he made the 23-man squad against Osasuna (5-2), Valencia (0-1) and Athletic (0-0) and stayed on the bench each time. At 19, that adds up to five LaLiga benches and no league minutes.

The system problem: a winger in a team without wingers

This is the key structural finding. Quique Sánchez Flores’s Alavés line up in a 3-5-2 / 5-3-2. The flanks belong to the wing-backs, Ángel Pérez on the right and Abde Rebbach on the left, and there is no traditional left-winger role. The same obstacle defined our earlier files on Miguel Rodríguez (an inverted right winger signed for around €5m who managed about ten minutes in seven weeks) and Lander Pinillos (a number 10).

There are two ways to read his repeated call-ups. The staff may see him as a late-game second striker or attacking wing-back, which would fit FotMob tagging him as a forward. Or the club may simply want a player it has tied down to 2030 to spend time around the first team. Either way the outcome is the same: no minutes on the pitch. The real development question is what happens in January 2027: regular 90 minutes with the B team, more time on the first-team bench, or a loan.

Position and role

The platform data is consistent. BeSoccer has him on the left wing in about 80% of his matches and in midfield for the rest. Being left-footed on the left makes him a natural-footed winger who can reach the byline to cross or cut the ball back from wide. Local press describes his position as the left channel of Alavés B’s attack.

Physically he is slight: 1.70 m and 60 kg according to BeSoccer. That comes from a single source with no official club figure, but if it is accurate his game has to rely on control, agility and his first step rather than on contact.

On the ball and off the ball

On the ball is where he makes his case. Noticias de Álava sums him up as ‘pure imbalance and talent with the ball’, which points to beating defenders one-on-one and protecting the ball in tight spaces. His goal at Arosa was reported locally as a fine finish, and the club’s five-assist record for 2025-26 (conflict noted) suggests a creator as well as a finisher.

Off the ball the evidence is thin. In a back-five system, recovery runs and defensive transitions would matter a lot, especially if he were used at wing-back, and there is no public data or local assessment on that. How a 60 kg player holds up in Segunda Federación’s physical duels has not been measured either.

In transition he suits attacking breaks, a winger who can pick the ball up and carry it down the left. His roughly 50 minutes per game suggests a role that works best once matches open up in the second half. That is an inference, as start and substitution data could not be verified across platforms.

Fit for the Turkish Süper Lig

The short answer is no, not today. He is 19, has no LaLiga minutes and has spent his whole career in Spain’s fourth and fifth tiers. Alavés have also tied him down to 2030 and are keeping him close to the first team, so they are clearly not selling this year.

What makes the profile interesting from a Turkish point of view is how rare it is. Left-footed wingers who play on their natural side and take players on are scarce in the Süper Lig’s young-player pool. Realistically, he is one to revisit in 2027-28 or 2028-29, once he has minutes in LaLiga or LaLiga Hypermotion.

Which Turkish clubs would suit him?

Teams playing 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 with genuine wingers. His profile makes sense in back-four systems with traditional wide players, not in a back five.

Clubs that develop and sell young players. An EU passport, low value and young age fit the model, but with his long contract only a loan or a deal with a sell-on clause would be realistic.

Risky for direct, high-contact teams. If the single-source height and weight are right, adapting to a duel-heavy league would take time.

This section is profile matching, not a recommendation to any specific club. Squads and coaches should be checked on the date of reading.

Ideal teammates

• An overlapping left-back. When Izei cuts inside, a full-back filling the flank doubles his one-on-one threat.
• A strong penalty-box striker. A number 9 to attack left-footed crosses and cut-backs.
• A ball-carrying number 8. A midfielder who gets the ball wide quickly lets Izei receive on the move rather than under pressure.

Best systems: 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 on the left wing. Hardest system: Alavés’s current 5-3-2, especially if asked to carry wing-back defensive duties.

Foreign-player status and work permit

Turkey: as a Spanish national he counts as a foreign player. Being born in 2007 could help under any young-foreign-player provisions; the TFF’s regulations for the relevant season should be checked before any move.

European Union: as an EU citizen he takes no non-EU slot in European leagues.

The Basque factor: being born in Bizkaia makes him eligible under Athletic Club’s player policy. That is why the reported Athletic interest matters: it gives Alavés a potential domestic sale route in the future.

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

Which leagues suit him?

Primera Federación (Spain’s third tier): the most realistic loan destination in January 2027, with regular starts on offer.

LaLiga Hypermotion (second tier): the target level for 2027-28. Alavés already loan B-team players to Segunda (Egoitz Muñoz to Córdoba in 2026-27).

LaLiga: only if Alavés change system or he adapts to a wing-back or second-striker role.

Turkish 1. Lig / Süper Lig: not yet; 2027-28 at the earliest.

Related files

If you are looking at this player, see these other Deportivo Alavés files on GegenSports:

• Abde Rebbach scouting report — the current owner of the left flank
• Miguel Rodríguez scouting report — a winger facing the same system problem
• Aitor Mañas scouting report — a B-team graduate who made the step up
• Lander Pinillos scouting report — his attacking partner in the B team

Strengths

• Fast-tracked — Went from the C team straight into Segunda Federación at 18 and played 30 games, a season ahead of the usual path.
• Clear backing from the club — Extended to 2030, first-team exposure under two coaches (Coudet, Quique), pre-season call-up and three LaLiga squads this season.
• Natural-footed left winger — Left-footed on the left, with crossing and cut-back lanes open. Local press: ‘pure imbalance and talent with the ball’.
• End product — Nine goal involvements in 2025-26 on the club’s record (4 goals, 5 assists); first B-team goal of 2026-27 already in.
• Value upside — Basque-born and reportedly followed by Athletic and several European clubs; a wide gap between his current value (€209k) and the interest.

Development Areas and Risks

• System mismatch — No conventional winger role in Alavés’s 5-3-2, a structural barrier to LaLiga minutes.
• No top-level evidence — Zero LaLiga minutes; his only official first-team outing was six minutes in the cup.
• Physical profile — 1.70 m / 60 kg (single source). Durability in duels and defensive transitions unproven.
• Unclear role — About 1,518 minutes in 30 games: not a regular 90-minute starter for most of the season.
• Data inconsistencies — Goal/assist split, shirt number and contract end date differ between sources.

Cost Scenarios

GegenSports Scout Ratings (/100)

These ratings are GegenSports’ editorial assessment and are not copied from any external platform. They are based mainly on the 2025-26 Segunda Federación season and local press assessments; with no LaLiga data, top-level performance is not factored in. Physical capacity is rated cautiously because height and weight come from a single source. Development potential reflects his regular first-team squad inclusion at 19 and the contract extension to 2030.

Similar Players

Sporting Director’s Note

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources and Data Note

This report draws on local press, club announcements and comparative statistics platforms. Tactical analysis is GegenSports’ own scouting work and is not taken from any other scouting platform. Conflicting data points (goal/assist split, shirt number, contract end date) are flagged in the report.

• Deportivo Alavés official announcement and Infobae (EFE) — 4 July 2026, contract extension to 2030 and 2025-26 B-team season
• Noticias de Álava — 4 July 2026 (extension, 30 games / 4 goals / 5 assists, Barcelona and Real Sociedad squads), 8 July 2026 (eight B-team players in pre-season, Athletic interest), 30 July 2026 (friendlies, Santutxu and Ibai Gómez)
• Noticias de Álava — 6 September 2026, squad for the Osasuna match (Selu Diallo, Xanet Olaiz, Izei Hernández)
• Noticias de Álava and Minuto Noventa — 27 September 2026, Arosa 2-5 Alavés B match reports
• FotMob — career table, 2024-25 C-team record, LaLiga squad and bench records, shirt number
• BeSoccer — height, weight, foot, positional split, 2025-26 and 2026-27 minutes, market value estimate

Last updated: 28 September 2026