De Ligt V Skriniar: We Compare The Two Chelsea Targets As Di Marzio Reveals Negotiations Are Underway

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2 years ago

Categories: Chelsea News, Galleries, Transfer News

Tags: Chelsea, Matthijs de Ligt, Milan Skriniar

Chelsea are currently conducting negotiations with both Juventus and Inter Milan to sign Matthijs de Ligt and Milan Skriniar, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.

The journalist claims that talks for the two centre-backs are progressing, although it is not clear which defender is likelier to move to Stamford Bridge at this stage:

#Calciomercato | #Chelsea, la situazione tra #Skriniar e #DeLigt https://t.co/kwpr4YugVi

— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) June 27, 2022

To determine which player would be the best for Chelsea, we have compared their performances from last season (using stats from FBref). Press the next page as we assess the two defenders.

Tackles And Interceptions

On this metric, de Ligt and Skriniar are almost identical. In all competitions last season, the Juventus player averaged 2.57 tackles and interceptions per 90 to the Inter star’s 2.60.

De Ligt is slightly more successful when winning tackles (62.5% to Skriniar’s 53.3%) but the Slovakian does attempt more challenges per match so his win percentage is likely to be lower anyway.

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Dribbled Past

This statistic can tell us a bit about the two player’s speed across the ground. If they can be bypassed by an opponent dribbling the ball, it’s a sure sign that they are not blessed with a great amount of pace.

De Ligt comes out on top pretty handsomely in this area, with the Dutchman having been dribbled past just nine times last season, compared to Skriniar’s 21.

Winner – DE LIGT

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The ability to win your aerial duels is a key component for any defender who wants to be successful in the Premier League. While direct play has become less common in recent years, it is still a challenge that centre-backs most cope with.

Again, de Ligt is clearly the better of the two in the air. In all competitions last campaign, the 22-year-old won 67.9% of his aerial challenges, while Skriniar managed only 56.8%. Not a poor figure by any means but still significantly worse than his Serie A compatriot.

Winner – DE LIGT

Passing

This is a particularly significant metric for a centre-half playing in a back three, when you are tasked with bringing the ball out from defence and setting up attacks. This is one area, though, where Skriniar comes out on top.

The 27-year-old is both more accurate (93.2% to de Ligt’s 89.5%) and more inclined to make progressive passes (2.26 per 90) than the Netherlands international (1.58).

Winner – SKRINIAR

Dribbling And Progressive Carries

As with passing, the ability to carry the ball forward is another important area when playing in a three-man defence. Having technically gifted centre-backs in possession who can commit opponents is key to opening up space when deploying the system.

In this area, the picture is mixed. De Ligt and Skriniar are quite even when it comes to progressive carries (2.75 compared to 3.07 per 90 minutes) but the Inter Milan star does attempt and complete more dribbles. You do have to take into account, though, that de Ligt has less scope for making these actions in a back four at Juve, so it’s hard to make a case that either player is better on this metric.

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In conclusion then, it does seem as if de Ligt would be the better choice based on these statistics. The Dutchman is defensively better suited for the Premier League, although he may have to improve on the ball in a back three.