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Comparing Aguero and Man City’s blockbuster swap deal target – Stats show that the latter is better

Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann

Statistical Comparison: Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero vs Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann

Manchester City are plotting an audacious swap deal in the summer which could see striker Sergio Aguero return to Atletico Madrid and Antoine Griezmann, as per reports from the Sun 

Atletico are understood to be keen on taking Aguero back to the club and City manager Pep Guardiola is also believed to be interested in capturing the signing of Griezmann ahead of next season. If it goes through, it will be one of a kind, a blockbuster deal that will surely create waves in the footballing world.  

Both Aguero and Griezmann are quality forwards in their own rights and have accomplished plenty with their clubs. However, who could end up as the happier side if the deal does go through in the summer? We analyze by taking a look at their numbers from the ongoing campaign.

Aguero has made 19 appearances in the Premier League so far, scoring 16 goals already, whereas Griezmann has featured on 17 occasions in the La Liga, but has managed just 6 goals in the campaign. Both players have registered five assists each.  

While one can say that Aguero has the benefit of playing with some world-class attacking partners and the fact that City have been totally rampant this season has benefitted him, it cannot be overlooked that Griezmann has underperformed significantly on comparison with his returns from previous seasons.  

Aguero has also enjoyed a better pass accuracy (82.7%), completing 405 of his 490 attempted passes, compared to the 26-year old Frenchman who has completed 414 of his 521 passes at a success rate of 79.5%. But Griezmann does edge out Aguero when it comes to the number of key passes played per game, having played 1.6 key passes, compared to 1.5 for the Argentine every game.  

The Manchester City man has enjoyed more success going past his opponents, as he has completed 2.2 dribbles per game this season, compared to the Atletico forward who has averaged a lowly 0.7 dribbles every game.  

However, Griezmann does come out on top when one looks at the possession retention stats of the two players. The 26-year old has been dispossessed just once every game and has had 1.6 unsuccessful touches per match, compared to the 29-year old Aguero, who has been dispossessed 1.8 times and has executed 2.5 unsuccessful touches per game.  

Given that City have dominated games and possession greatly against most oppositions, Aguero hasn’t had to do a lot of defensive work, whereas Griezmann has performed his duties off the ball quite diligently. The France international has completed 0.4 interceptions and 1.1 tackles every game, compared to 0.2 interceptions and 0.4 tackles for Aguero.  

Looking at the numbers, it is quite clear that Aguero is enjoying a far more superior season than Griezmann, who has been going through a rough patch of form. The Manchester City striker is enjoying his best years and if he does return to Atletico come the summer, Aguero will make the team much stronger.  

On the other hand, Griezmann’s current form might not be the best, but he has proven himself to be a top-class marksman and with age on his side, he could reach great heights with Guardiola and City.

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