It has been a tremendous start to the Thomas Tuchel era at Chelsea. The German has returned 21 points from a possible 27 in the Premier League so far, conceding only twice in that time. Tuchel has moved the team from a loosely-followed 4-3-3, into a far more rigid, and instructions-based back three system – whether that be a 3-4-2-1 or a 3-4-1-2. What is unknown is that if this is a short-term fix or a long-term solution.
Given his formations in the past at previous clubs such as Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, it is likely the former, opting to steady the ship and garner a feeling for who likes as a player, and who he does not, hence the heavy rotation. Niklas Süle, currently at Bayern Munich, has been lauded as a key centre-back target for Tuchel, but in this analysis, we will be using data insights to see if he is the best option for the Blues.
This data analysis will use statistics to find a ready-made centre-back for Tuchel’s Chelsea, from across Europe’s top five leagues. Our dataset consists of players who have played primarily as a centre-back, are aged between 18-26 years old (for long-term benefits and to create a manageable dataset…), with at least 1000 minutes played in the league.
At the end of our analysis, we will highlight three options, one ‘ideal’ option, one ‘bargain’ choice, and finally ‘one for the future’. All data used in this piece is correct as of 09/03/21.
Comfortability on the ball
Firstly, we will look at our dataset’s comfortability in possession. Antonio Rüdiger has been the fulcrum for possession under Tuchel so far, operating in that left centre-back slot, so it might be nice to find a left-footer here. At most elite clubs in recent times, this is the first requirement for their centre-backs options.
Leading the way for progressive passes per 90 is Omar Alderete with 13.87. At Hertha Berlin, the 24-year-old is not a regular starter, only just breaching the 1000 minutes threshold for our dataset, but he has impressed with his passing in those minutes, completing those progressive attempts at a 71.26% success rate.
Nayef Aguerd at Rennes has really impressed in his debut season in Ligue 1, producing 12.18 progressive passes per 90 at an impressive 83.95% success rate. The 24-year-old’s performances have remained consistent all season, despite a mid-season dip in form for the team, resulting in the manager’s release.
