Jon Pacheco Scout Report: Is Alavés’s Loaned Centre-Back Right for the Süper Lig?
Jon Pacheco
Quick Take
Jon Pacheco’s file reads like a classic Spanish academy story: a boy from the small Baztán valley in Navarre who joined Real Sociedad’s Zubieta academy at twelve, worked his way up through every rung of the club’s ladder, and made his La Liga debut in 2020. Over five seasons he made 66 La Liga appearances for Real Sociedad and, in the summer of 2024, won Olympic gold with Spain in Paris. But when Real Sociedad added Sergio Gómez and Croatian international Duje Ćaleta-Car to the back line in 2024-25, Pacheco slipped down the pecking order, and in August 2025 he was loaned — with no purchase option attached — to Deportivo Alavés. At Alavés he wears the number 5 shirt and has barely missed a game: 20 starts in 25 matches, more than 1,800 minutes across all competitions. His profile is straightforward: a left-footed, aerially dominant centre-back who wins roughly 3.2 aerial duels per 90 minutes, likes the long ball, and tackles aggressively, but ranks only around the 42nd percentile among centre-backs for progressive passing — a duels-and-heading defender rather than a modern ball-player. His injury record is unremarkable apart from a roughly two-month muscle injury in the first half of 2025. For a Süper Lig club, the read is clear: a high-minutes, physically decisive centre-back who wins the ball in the air and in duels, not a build-up specialist. His market value is reported anywhere between roughly €4m and €7.3m depending on the source, and because he remains under contract with Real Sociedad until 2030, any permanent move would need to be negotiated directly with his parent club rather than with Alavés.
Player Profile
| Full name | Jon Pacheco Dozagarat |
| Date of birth | 8 January 2001 |
| Age | 25 |
| Place of birth | Elizondo, Baztán valley, Navarre (Spain) |
| Nationality | Spain |
| Height | 1.84 m |
| Preferred foot | Left |
| Main position | Centre-back |
| Shirt number | 5 (Deportivo Alavés) |
| Club | Deportivo Alavés (on loan) |
| Parent club | Real Sociedad — contract runs to 30 June 2030 |
| Loan term | 25 August 2025 to 30 June 2026, no purchase option |
| Market value | Approx. €4.0-7.3m band (sources diverge significantly) |
| National team | Spain U21 and Paris 2024 Olympic squad (gold medal) — no senior caps |
Career and Transfer History
| Period | Club | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Real Sociedad academy (Zubieta) | Joined at age 12 from CD Baztán |
| 2018-2020 | Real Sociedad B (Sanse) | Progressed through Segunda División B / Primera RFEF |
| 29 June 2020 | Real Sociedad (first-team debut) | Started away at Getafe in La Liga (1-2 defeat) |
| 2020-2025 | Real Sociedad | 66 La Liga appearances, 1 goal, 2 assists across five seasons — rotation and occasional starting centre-back |
| Summer 2024 | Spain (Paris Olympics) | 4 matches, 160 minutes — part of Spain’s gold-medal squad |
| 2024-25 season | Real Sociedad | 22 La Liga appearances; slipped in the pecking order after Sergio Gómez and Duje Ćaleta-Car arrived |
| 25 August 2025 | Deportivo Alavés (loan) | Loaned from Real Sociedad with no purchase option, through the end of 2025-26 |
Season Statistics (Deportivo Alavés, 2025-26 La Liga)
| La Liga starts | 20/25 |
| Total minutes (all competitions) | ~1,815 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Yellow cards | 3 |
| Red cards | 0 |
| Aerial duels won per 90 | ~3.2 |
| Pass accuracy from central areas | 76.1% |
| Average match rating (FotMob) | 6.86 |
Goal/assist output is not a meaningful metric for a centre-back and is not emphasised here. Advanced metrics such as progressive passing and post-press recoveries are calculated differently across public platforms (WhoScored, DataMB, One-Versus-One), so this report cites directional ranges rather than claiming a single precise figure. Data compiled from sources current as of 27-28 August 2026.
Who is he? From Baztán to Zubieta, a Real Sociedad product
Jon Pacheco Dozagarat was born on 8 January 2001 in Elizondo, the main town of the small Baztán valley in Navarre, close to the French border. He started out with local club CD Baztán before joining Real Sociedad’s Zubieta academy at age twelve — one of the most respected youth systems in the Basque Country. He then progressed through the club’s B team, Sanse, in the Segunda División B and Primera RFEF, the typical route by which a Spanish centre-back earns physical and tactical maturity.
His first-team debut came on 29 June 2020, in the strange, condensed final weeks of the pandemic-affected season, starting away at Getafe. The match was lost 1-2, but for a nineteen-year-old academy graduate, a La Liga start marked the turning point of his career.
The Real Sociedad years: steady, but never past the hierarchy
From 2020 to 2025, Pacheco became a regular part of Real Sociedad’s defensive rotation: 66 La Liga appearances, 1 goal and 2 assists across five seasons. Those numbers are modest by nature for a centre-back, but the more relevant point is his position in the pecking order: behind an established pairing built around Robin Le Normand and Igor Zubeldia, Pacheco was mostly a third- or fourth-choice option rather than a guaranteed starter.
Summer 2024 marked a career high point: he was named to Spain’s Paris Olympics squad and played 4 matches for 160 minutes as Spain won gold — clear evidence that at U21 level he was viewed as one of Spain’s better defensive prospects.
But competition intensified in 2024-25. Real Sociedad added Sergio Gómez and Croatian international centre-back Duje Ćaleta-Car, pushing Pacheco further down the depth chart. He still made 22 La Liga appearances, mostly rotation minutes, but with no guaranteed starting spot. That combination — an Olympic gold medallist, proven at U21 level, but squeezed out of a top club’s hierarchy — is a familiar profile for a productive loan move.
The move to Alavés: a search for minutes
On 25 August 2025, Real Sociedad and Deportivo Alavés agreed a loan taking Pacheco to Alavés through the end of 2025-26. The defining feature of the deal: no purchase option. Real Sociedad, who hold him under contract until 2030, are simply looking to keep his development moving with regular minutes elsewhere — not signalling any intent to sell. That kind of “option-free loan” is a meaningful scouting signal: the parent club is not shopping the player, just parking him productively.
For Alavés, the move filled a precise need: while rebuilding its back line over the summer, the club wanted a centre-back with proven La Liga minutes at a low cost — with Real Sociedad covering a significant share of the wages, the loan carried little financial risk.
2025-26 season: one of Alavés’s most reliable names
In his first full season at Alavés, Pacheco has become one of the club’s most consistent starters: 20 starts in 25 matches (an 80% start rate) and more than 1,800 minutes across all competitions. FotMob’s 6.86 average match rating is a solid, upper-mid-table figure for a centre-back. Discipline has not been an issue — three yellow cards, no reds.
The standout number is aerial performance: roughly 3.2 aerial duels won per 90 minutes places him among the league’s better centre-backs in that category. Progressive passing and post-press exit numbers tell a more modest story — public analytics platforms place him around the 42nd percentile among centre-backs. That combination points to a traditional, duel-first defender rather than a modern “build from the back” profile.
Representative tactical schematic: an aerial-first centre-back
The schematic below is an original diagram produced by GegenSports to illustrate the player’s recurring positioning and duel tendencies; it is not an official event-data heat map.
Defensively: Pacheco stands out in the box and in the air, rarely shying away from a duel. His challenges tend to come early and aggressively — usually winning the ball, but occasionally pulling him out of position to meet an attacker.
On the ball: reliable over short-to-medium distances, but with a limited volume of progressive passes — a centre-back who keeps possession safe rather than one who drives the build-up.
Set pieces: a genuine source of value at both ends, given his heading strength on long throw-ins and corner-kick situations.
Adaptation Analysis
Adaptation in Pacheco’s file cuts two ways. On one hand, his entire career has unfolded inside a single club culture — Real Sociedad’s Basque system — and his move to Alavés kept him in the same country, the same league, and a broadly similar Basque club environment, which likely explains how quickly he settled into the starting eleven. On the other hand, that also means he has never had to adjust to a genuinely different league culture, language, or tempo of play abroad.
The strongest positive signal is different: winning Olympic gold in Paris 2024 with a national squad assembled only weeks earlier shows he can integrate quickly into a new group and a new coaching staff under pressure. At 25, he also remains in a physically and culturally favourable age bracket for adaptation.
For a prospective move to Turkey, the read is this: on-pitch adaptation risk is low — his game plan is simple and legible (aerial duels, physical challenges, discipline) — but he carries no track record of off-pitch cultural adaptation abroad. The presence of Spanish-speaking staff or teammates at a destination club would meaningfully ease that transition.
Physical profile and durability
Pacheco’s injury history shows no chronic pattern, but it is not spotless either: a roughly two-month muscle injury in the first half of 2025 was his most significant absence, alongside several short-term issues across his career (shoulder, groin, knee, ankle). None of these point to a recurring structural weakness, but a buying club’s medical staff should still flag the muscle-injury episode for monitoring. At 25, with 1,800-plus minutes logged in 2025-26 alone, his overall physical availability profile is strong.
Süper Lig Fit
Short answer: yes, particularly for a club building a physical, aerially oriented defensive system.
Where he fits. Süper Lig attacks lean heavily on crosses and set pieces, and Pacheco’s aerial dominance is a direct answer to that. Five La Liga seasons plus an Olympic gold medal suggest a player already comfortable with pressure and big-match intensity. Being left-footed adds specific value for clubs needing a left-sided centre-back.
Where he’ll struggle. Süper Lig’s upper table increasingly favours possession-based systems that expect progressive passing and press resistance from centre-backs — an area where Pacheco’s modest percentile ranking (around the 42nd) could be a limiting factor. His aggressive challenge timing also demands defensive discipline around him against fast transition teams.
Bottom line: a strong starting option for a mid-to-upper-table Süper Lig side built around physicality and set pieces; a system built on high defensive lines and short-passing exits would need to redefine his role.
Which Turkish Clubs Fit?
Fit profile 1 — a mid-to-upper-table club leaning on set pieces and aerial strength. A direct answer for clubs needing reliability defending corners and free-kicks, and confidence against long throws and crosses.
Fit profile 2 — a club playing a back three. His left foot adds value as the left-sided centre-back in a three, opening diagonal passing angles.
Fit profile 3 — a club in European competition seeking an experienced foreign centre-back. Big-match experience at La Liga and Olympic level suggests maturity under pressure.
Poor fit. A possession-first system built on a high defensive line that expects its centre-backs to be the first creative passer. Pacheco’s progressive-passing numbers fall short of that requirement.
Ideal Teammates
Most effective set-up: a 4-2-3-1 or a 3-4-2-1/3-5-2 with Pacheco at left or left-sided centre-back; he produces most value in systems that reward aerial and physical duels rather than mandating short build-up play.
Connections he needs:
- A recovery-focused partner centre-back. His aggressive challenge timing needs a partner with pace and positional discipline behind him.
- A ball-carrying holding midfielder. Given his limited progressive-passing volume, a pivot who can take possession from the back line eases the exit-play burden.
- Aerially strong attacking targets for set pieces. His defensive heading strength could be mirrored in attacking corner and free-kick routines.
Where he’ll struggle: an ultra-aggressive pressing system with a high back line that expects centre-backs to win frequent long sprints and isolated one-on-ones.
Foreign Player Status and Work Permit
Turkey: Pacheco would be classified as a foreign player in Turkey. He holds Spanish nationality; no verified public record of a second nationality was found. Squad registration and the foreign-player quota should be checked against the TFF’s current-season regulations.
European Union: as a Spanish national, he holds EU citizenship, which is an advantage for transfers within the EU; however, since Turkey is not an EU member, this does not affect Süper Lig foreign-quota calculations.
United Kingdom (hypothetical GBE scenario): Governing Body Endorsement points are calculated from national-team minutes, club minutes, and league banding. Pacheco’s lack of senior caps is a weak entry; his Paris 2024 Olympic gold medal and 66-plus La Liga appearances are strong ones. A club should seek expert assessment before any formal application.
Which Leagues Fit?
Süper Lig: a strong starting option for a mid-to-upper table club built around set pieces and aerial strength.
LaLiga (current league): the environment best suited to his current level, proven across Real Sociedad and Alavés.
Ligue 1: physically open and heading-friendly, aligning well with his profile.
Bundesliga (mid-to-lower table): a good alternative for clubs that favour high-tempo transition play and physical central defending.
MLS: a financially accessible option later in his career, where his physical profile could still stand out.
Related GegenSports Files
- Antonio Sivera scout report — Alavés’s captain goalkeeper, the last line behind the same back line
- Jonny Otto scout report — the club’s veteran right-back, defensive balance on the flank
- Hugo Novoa Ramos scout report — Alavés’s young right-back, the squad’s future
- Abde Rebbach scouting report — a winger-turned-wing-back on the opposite flank
- Toni Martínez scout report — the club’s second striker, a different angle on Alavés’s attack
Strengths
- Aerial dominance — roughly 3.2 aerial duels won per 90 places him among the league’s stand-out centre-backs; a direct source of confidence defending corners and free-kicks.
- Big-match and pressure experience — 66-plus La Liga appearances and an Olympic gold medal won with Spain in Paris 2024 at a young age.
- Left-footedness — a relatively rare trait that opens diagonal passing angles as a left-sided or back-three centre-back.
- Consistency and physical robustness — 20 starts in 25 matches in 2025-26, with no major injury interruption across the season.
- Aggression in duels — an active, front-foot defensive approach rather than a passive one.
Areas for Development and Risks
- Progressive passing and build-up — around the 42nd percentile among centre-backs in public analytics; a limited profile for the “first progressive pass” role that modern, high-line teams expect from a centre-back.
- Aggressive challenge timing — his front-foot defending carries a risk of being pulled out of position against fast wide attackers.
- Muscle injury history — a roughly two-month muscle injury in the first half of 2025 and several shorter issues across his career; not chronic, but worth monitoring.
- Loan-status uncertainty — Real Sociedad’s long-term intentions for a permanent sale are not publicly clear, which complicates transfer-window planning.
Cost Scenarios
| Scenario | Estimated profile | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Low cost | Extended loan (option-free) | The most realistic short-term scenario keeps him in Spain; not available to a Turkish club, which would need to negotiate a permanent deal directly. |
| Realistic cost | €4-6m fee band plus an upper-mid salary | The midpoint of publicly reported valuations. With his Real Sociedad contract running to 2030 and the player still developing, there is little pressure on the parent club to accept less. |
| High cost | Fee above €7m | Realistic only if Real Sociedad has no recall plan and a competitive bidding process emerges; a high-risk band for a Süper Lig club. |
The central complication in Pacheco’s file stems from his loan status: any deal requires a direct conversation with Real Sociedad, not Alavés. Reported market values diverge meaningfully — roughly €4m to €7.3m — which makes a precise fee hard to predict but leaves room for negotiation. Three realistic paths for a Turkish club: wait for Real Sociedad’s end-of-season plans to become clear; move early with an offer in the €4-6m range; or scout a lower-cost alternative with a similar aerial profile.
GegenSports Scout Ratings (/100)
| Aerial duels | 82 |
| Ball-winning / tackling | 74 |
| Positioning / game reading | 70 |
| Progressive passing / build-up | 55 |
| Ball-carrying under pressure | 60 |
| Physical capacity | 78 |
| Speed / recovery | 65 |
| Experience / big-match maturity | 75 |
| Süper Lig fit | 73 |
| Süper Lig adaptation score | 77 |
| Cost-to-performance | 66 |
| Overall scout grade | 71 |
These ratings are GegenSports’s own editorial scout assessment, built from match footage, current statistics, league level, age, loan/contract status and an estimated transfer cost — not sourced from any third-party rating table. The adaptation score is a qualitative summary of how quickly the player is expected to adjust physically, tactically and culturally moving from La Liga to the Süper Lig.
Similar Players
| Player | Similarity | Key difference |
|---|---|---|
| Robin Le Normand (Atlético Madrid) | A fellow Real Sociedad academy product with an aerial-first, physically dominant centre-back profile. | Le Normand went on to develop stronger progressive passing and reached the senior Spain national team; Pacheco has not yet reached that level. |
| Aymeric Laporte (Al-Nassr) | Left-footed, aerially dominant, favours long-range distribution. | Laporte’s progressive passing and build-up quality are elite; Pacheco is still developing in that area. |
| Süper Lig comparison: Marcão (Galatasaray) | A physical, aerially dominant foreign centre-back archetype who has thrived defending set pieces in the league. | Marcão has a proven Süper Lig track record; for Pacheco this remains a hypothetical adaptation scenario. |
Sporting Director Summary
| Transfer purpose | Add a young foreign centre-back who brings stability in the air and at set pieces, with big-match experience. Not the right file for a system that expects its centre-back to be the first progressive passer. |
| Squad role | Left or right centre-back in a 4-2-3-1, or left-sided centre-back in a back three; needs a fast, recovery-minded partner alongside him. |
| Main risk | The loan’s status and Real Sociedad’s unclear long-term intentions. His modest progressive-passing profile is the second risk factor. |
| Main opportunity | A 25-year-old Olympic gold medallist with 66-plus proven La Liga appearances and league-leading aerial numbers, available in a moderate cost band relative to his physical ceiling. |
| Scout verdict | Move in the €4-6m range and act early, negotiating directly with Real Sociedad. A direct contributor for a squad that needs aerial and set-piece reliability. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jon Pacheco?
A Spanish centre-back, born 8 January 2001, aged 25. He came through Real Sociedad’s Zubieta academy and made his La Liga debut in 2020. Since summer 2025 he has been on loan at Deportivo Alavés.
How old is Jon Pacheco and where is he from?
He is 25 years old, born in Elizondo, in the Baztán valley of Navarre, Spain.
What position does Jon Pacheco play?
His main position is centre-back. Being left-footed, he can also play as a left centre-back or the left-sided centre-back in a back three. He wears the number 5 shirt at Alavés.
How does Jon Pacheco play?
He is strong in the air and in physical duels, favours the long ball, and challenges aggressively. His progressive passing and build-up play under pressure are more modest.
Is Jon Pacheco on loan? Whose player is he?
He belongs to Real Sociedad, under contract until 30 June 2030. Since 25 August 2025 he has been on an option-free loan at Deportivo Alavés through the end of 2025-26.
What is Jon Pacheco’s market value?
Sources diverge significantly, with estimates ranging from roughly €4.0m to €7.3m. Because of his loan status, a precise sale price is difficult to forecast right now.
Has Jon Pacheco played for the national team?
He has played for Spain U21 and was part of Spain’s Paris 2024 Olympic gold-medal squad, appearing in 4 matches for 160 minutes. He has not yet been capped by the senior national team.
What is Jon Pacheco’s injury history?
He suffered a roughly two-month muscle injury in the first half of 2025, plus several short-term issues across his career (shoulder, groin, knee, ankle). There is no chronic or recurring severe-injury pattern.
Is Jon Pacheco a good fit for the Süper Lig?
Yes, particularly for a mid-to-upper-table club that values aerial strength and set-piece defending. A system built on a high defensive line and heavy progressive passing from its centre-backs would need to redefine his role.
What type of team suits Jon Pacheco?
Mid-to-upper table clubs leaning on set pieces and aerial strength, or teams playing a back three. He is most effective alongside a fast, recovery-minded partner centre-back and a ball-carrying holding midfielder.
Is Jon Pacheco classified as a foreign player?
Yes, he would be classified as a foreign player in Turkey. He holds Spanish, and therefore EU, citizenship — but since Turkey is not an EU member, that does not affect Süper Lig foreign-quota calculations.
Sources and Data Note
This report was prepared by cross-referencing Real Sociedad’s official loan announcement, Transfermarkt’s player profile and transfer history, Sofascore and FotMob statistical data, WhoScored’s playing-style analysis, DataMB and One-Versus-One advanced-metric platforms, LiveScore’s 2025-26 season statistics, and Spanish/Basque press coverage (Noticias de Gipuzkoa, Onda Vasca) of the transfer. Discrepancies in market value and advanced statistics between platforms are flagged explicitly where relevant. The tactical assessment, strengths/weaknesses analysis and scout ratings are GegenSports’s original editorial work; no third-party scout text, radar chart, heat map or rating table has been reused. Data current as of 27-28 August 2026.
- Real Sociedad official website — loan announcement and player career record
- Transfermarkt — player profile, transfer history, market value and contract record
- Sofascore and FotMob — player profile, season statistics and match ratings
- WhoScored — playing-style analysis and tactical tendencies
- DataMB and One-Versus-One — advanced statistics and percentile data
- LiveScore — 2025-26 La Liga season statistics
- Noticias de Gipuzkoa and Onda Vasca — Real Sociedad-Alavés loan announcement coverage
- Image: original GegenSports representative schematic (playing-profile chart)
Last updated: 28 August 2026
