Arsenal have been linked with signing Aston Villa’s Fabian Delph.
Arsenal have been linked with a move to sign Fabian Delph, with the Aston Villa midfielder’s contract expiring next summer.
Delph, 24, has recently broken into the England team and is being touted as potential addition for the Gunners, who are in need of a defensive midfielder, report the Birmingham Mail.
He would certainly strengthen the club, in terms of depth and add to their growing troupe of English internationals, but would he improve them? Here is how he compares with Aaron Ramsey in four key areas.
| Team | Pos | Tackles / apps | Interceptions / apps | Ball Recovery / apps | Key Passes / apps | Apps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Ramsey | Arsenal | MF | 2.00 | 1.33 | 6.00 | 2.17 | 6 |
| Fabian Delph | Aston Villa | MF | 0.83 | 1.00 | 5.33 | 0.50 | 6 |
Delph makes less tackles per game, fewer interceptions, recovers the ball less frequently, and is not as creative as the Welshman.
Considering Aston Villa average far less possession than Arsenal, 43 per cent compared to the Gunners’ 63 per cent, Delph has more opportunities to make tackles and win the ball back than Ramsey.
Hailed from a young age, Delph is beginning to show he can reach his potential, evidenced by his recent display with England – but he is not the finished article yet, and Arsenal need to consider whether they want to sign a player like him, or one of the proven calibre of Sami Khedira.
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