Speaking on the Transfer Window Podcast, Duncan Castles has shared what a recruitment specialist has told him about Chris Wood after he joined Newcastle United.
The New Zealander joined the Magpies for £25m earlier this month, and that fee was somewhat surprising.
Indeed, £25m for a 30-year-old striker did seem rather excessive, and it sounds as though the underlying data would support that theory.
Castles says that he spoke to a recruitment expert about the analytics behind this deal, and he claims that Wood ranked as the 26th best striker in the Premier League from a statistical standpoint.
What’s been said about Wood?
The journalist shared what he’s heard about Wood.
“Interestingly, I was talking to a recruitment specialist who uses analytics as a part of his recruitment process. I asked him where Chris Wood ranked in his analytics scheme compared to other Premier League centre-forwards. He told me that Chris Wood came back 26th in the ranking of Premier League strikers on his very successful analytical tool. That probably explains why Newcastle want another striker,” Castles said.
Too expensive
It seems as though Newcastle may have paid a bit too much for Wood.
Of course, data and stats aren’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to football, but if the analytics state that there are 25 better strikers in the Premier League, you have to wonder why Newcastle spent so much on Wood.
After hearing this, we have to wonder, was Callum Wilson one of the 25 Premier League strikers ranked as better than Wood? If that is the case, then why have the Magpies spent so much on the New Zealander?
This move could end up backfiring.
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