Mathieu Debuchy has cast doubt over his Newcastle United future today. Should Arsenal move for him?
Today has seen yet another of Newcastle United’s star Frenchman linked with a move away from the club. French international Mathieu Debuchy has seen himself linked with following in the footsteps of Yohan Cabaye in making a switch to Paris Saint-Germain.
He has also cast his own doubt over his future at St James Park:
“PSG? I am here until the end of the season and for next year, I do not know. This is a great loss for us (Cabaye leaving) so obviously I was sad but I’m happy for him because PSG is a great club.”
With his exit seemingly possible the likes of PSG and Bayern Munich have been installed as the early favourites to snap him up – but should a Premier League team, who failed to sign Cabaye in the summer, consider making a move for the player?
Arsenal could also be on the brink of losing a French right-back in the summer – with Bacary Sagna out of contract and negotiations reportedly at stalemate.
So what would Arsenal be getting for their money if they were too invest in Debuchy – a French revolution or a French dud?
We have taken a look at the Opta stats for both players in key areas when it comes to both defending and attacking in the full-back position.
Here is their defensive comparison…
| Name | Team | Won Tackle | Duel Won | Interception | Aerial Won | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathieu Debuchy | Newcastle | 51 | 201 | 58 | 98 | 1,981 |
| Bacary Sagna | Arsenal | 28 | 148 | 32 | 89 | 1,980 |
And here offensively…
| Name | Team | Accurate Cross | Total Cross | Big Chance Created | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacary Sagna | Arsenal | 14 | 77 | 4 | 1,980 |
| Mathieu Debuchy | Newcastle | 10 | 77 | 2 | 1,981 |
The pair are easy to compare, as they have almost played the exact same amount of football – and it seems as though defensively Debuchy has the edge over Sagna.
He wins more tackles, one-on-one duels and aerial battles than Sagna – and also has more interceptions.
The gulf in some of these areas is actually quite large. 13 more tackles won, 53 more duels, 24 more interceptions – Debuchy is statistically the better defender.
But what about offensively?
Well Sagna has the edge, but only just.
The two have attempted the exact same amount of crosses – with Sagna’s slightly more accurate – but his dominance in the defensive areas would suggest Debuchy is the better, and not to mention younger, option.
image: © toksuede
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