Newcastle speedster vs Stoke’s new signing – Stats show that the Potters have signed the right player

Stoke City have completed the signing of striker Benik Afobe from Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday. The Potters endured a terrible campaign last term as they suffered relegation from the Premier League.

Stoke had to strengthen their forces in the summer in order to ensure a swift return to the top-flight, and Gary Rowett’s team needed fresh faces up front. Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle is still on the radar of the Potters, who have already signed Afobe.

Afobe struggled to get things going at Bournemouth last season. However, he was loaned out to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the January window and the player enjoyed a good tenure with them.

The newly-promoted Premier League outfit secured a permanent deal for him earlier in the month before selling him to Stoke.

Meanwhile, Gayle failed to work wonders for Newcastle United last season and he might get a chance to revive his career if he moves to the bet365 Stadium.

While Stoke have already signed Afobe, should they still look to rope in Gayle or should the Potters have gone for the Newcastle man instead? Let’s compare their stats.

Benik Afobe vs Dwight Gayle stats

Afobe failed to score any goals for Bournemouth in the Premier League last season but he did chip in with a goal in an FA Cup appearance for the Cherries. As far as his time with Wolves is concerned, the player scored 6 goals in 16 appearances.

He averaged 1.8 shots per game with an impressive pass success rate of 85.8%. In addition to that, the player averaged 0.3 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game.

Gayle, on the other hand, scored 6 goals in 37 appearances across all competitions for Newcastle last term. He chipped in with 3 assists while averaging 1.6 shots per game. His pass success rate stood at 72.3% and the player completed an average of 0.6 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per game.

Verdict

As per stats, Afobe’s numbers are clearly better than Gayle’s, despite the 25-year-old playing a lot lesser than the Newcastle man. And it seems Stoke have managed to land the right striker. However, it remains to be seen if the Potters make a move for Gayle as well.