For a number of years now, Tottenham Hotspur have struggled to become a consistent top-four team in the Premier League despite having several top-class attacking players at their disposal. Players such as Harry Kane and Heung-min Son have destroyed opposition defences on a consistent basis, yet Spurs are still unable to reach the heights of the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City. While they did achieve UEFA Champions League football by finishing fourth in 2021/22, they conceded 40 goals – the most of any top-four side, which is why it is a smart move to have invested in an established central defender.
The new defender is none other than Clément Lenglet of Barcelona, who has signed on loan for the 2022/23 season. Experienced in La Liga and the Champions League, the French International could be a key component for Spurs to reach the next level.
This data analysis will provide a statistical assessment of Lenglet – an analysis of how his 2021/22 statistics fair against Spurs’ centre backs’ using data from the 2021/22 campaign. Three key areas will be under analysis: defensive ability, on-the-ball ability, and a further scope on passing contributions. The players alongside Lenglet to be included are Cristian Romero, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Japhet Tangana, and Ben Davies (while Davies is naturally a left-back/left wing-back, he has featured for Spurs at CB last season), and will include statistics from each player in only the Premier League – domestic and European cups are not involved.
Player Profile
Lenglet has played 303 matches in professional football, with 301 of those coming at centre-back – the other two at left-back. Having impressed at French side AS Nancy-Lorraine, Lenglet earned a move to La Liga side Sevilla, where he continued to impress. He attracted the attention of many big clubs around Europe, but Barcelona were the ones to secure his signature – he has since gone on to make more than 150 appearances for the Spanish giants. He is also a French international, with 15 senior caps to his name, achieving a UEFA Nations League title during that time.
As you can see from his heat map below, he has been more likely to feature on the left side of a back four than anywhere else, but his role may slightly differ in this respect in Spurs’ three-at-the-back system, depending on where Antonio Conte wishes to play his new signing.
Defensive attributes
While a modern defender must be able to contribute to their team’s possession and attacks, defensive values are still of extreme importance. Below, we take a look at some major components when it comes to defending such as duels, tackling, and interceptions.
