Sunderland have signed former Aston Villa scapegoat.
Joleon Lescott has sealed a switch to Premier League relegation battlers Sunderland, with the club announcing the deal on their official website.
Lescott was a free agent after a short spell with Greek side AEK Athens, and is looking to bounce back after a miserable spell at Aston Villa a year ago.
Aston Villa’s Joleon Lescott goes off injured
The centre-back made a number of off-pitch gaffes last season for Villa to compound his performances at Villa Park which contributed to his team’s relegation.
The 34-year-old is a shadow of the player who was once a Premier League winner with Manchester City, but Sunderland are not in a position to be picky.
Their defence is just one of the weak areas in their team which needs improving, with summer signing Papy Djilobodji struggling.
Tottenham’s Vincent Janssen in action with Sunderland’s Papy Djilobodji
Would Lescott actually be an improvement on the Senegalese defender? Here is a look at how Lescott’s Villa form compares with Djilobodji’s for Sunderland this campaign.
| Passing Accuracy | Won Tackles per game | Interceptions per game | Ball Recoveries per game | Aerial Duels won per game | Shots blocked per game | Clearances per game | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joleon Lescott | 77% | 0.94 | 2.66 | 5.31 | 2.22 | 0.66 | 4.78 | 2,810 |
| Papy Djilobodji | 72% | 0.94 | 3 | 5.33 | 3.17 | 1.28 | 8.67 | 1,577 |
Unfortunately for Lescott the statistics do not make positive reading.
Djilobodji may be struggling but he has been better than Lescott was at Villa last season in five key defensive areas.
The pair are equal in terms of tackles won, and while Lescott is a marginally more competent passer of the ball, it is hard to see that Sunderland are bringing in a big upgrade – simply an extra body and a potential sign of desperation by manager David Moyes.
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