Chelsea should sign Paulo Dybala over Antoine Griezmann
With Chelsea consistently on the hunt for world class talent, a lot of attention has focused on Antoine Griezmann. Paulo Dybala, though, is a better option.
It seems that Chelsea FC are almost always in the hunt for a new striker. Given that they have at least one solid option in Diego Costa, Chelsea appear to be in pursuit of the perfect striker partner for him. Many pundits and fans alike have commented that Atletico Madrid phenomenon Antoine Griezmann should be Chelsea’s next signing, but Paulo Dybala is a better option.
Now, while the incredible noise coming out of Madrid in recent seasons has been almost overwhelming, that is simply what it is. Noise. Though Griezmann would be good, it is Paulo Dybala who would be a better choice. The right signing for Chelsea, given the exorbitant fees that are being thrown around, would be that of the Juventus forward.
The system that Chelsea are moving towards is a 3-5-2, although they aren’t there yet and it will be some time before they are there. Dybala represents a better tactical fit in this formation and in a general sense than Antoine Griezmann. If we do a simple statistical analysis of them both last season in their respective leagues we can see that the players are very similar (they are even the same height) but you will see that it is Dybala who proves to be a superior overall player to Griezmann.
| Paulo Dybala (34 games) | Antoine Griezmann (38 games) | |
|---|---|---|
| Key passes | 64 | 47 |
| Assists | 9 | 5 |
| Goals scored | 19 | 22 |
| Shot accuracy | 55% | 57% |
| Successful take ons | 60.53% | 43.84% |
Stats via Squawka.
The only category in which Griezmann leads Dybala in is goals. He does, however, do it in four more games. Also, when rating a player, assists should count for as much as goals. Both are representative of the same thing and you cannot have one without the other.
If you count Dybala’s goals and assists total compared to Griezmann’s, then it is Dybala whose play resulted in 28 goals for his side compared to 27 for Griezmann. The other important statistics in which Griezmann proves to be inferior are take ons and key passes.
Key passes are passes in the final third that result in an opportunity, if not a goal, and take ons are pretty easy to understand. Dybala wins both of these comparisons with statistics of 64 (key passes) and 60.53% to Griezmann’s 47 and 43.84%.
More from The Pride of London
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
Besides rating them on their play we also have to look at the business. Professional football is, after all, more than simply a game of ideals. It is now a multimillion pound business for everyone involved.
Griezmann will be 26 before the end of the season. Dybala will be 23 before the season has ended. Those three years might not seem like a lot but football careers are short and they are three very important years.
Now, we have to assume that the players’ respective clubs do not want them to leave. Both players, however, have minimum fee release clauses in their contracts that would necessitate the acceptance of a bid from another club. Griezmann has a release clause that is thought to be around £85 million while Dybala has one at £77 million.
More from Chelsea FC News
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
- Chelsea sporting directors finally reveal why they sign so many young players
- These 3 new signings may never get a game at Chelsea
Simply put, paying £85 million for a player who will not even play five seasons for your club before hitting 30 is stupid and reckless. Unfortunately, in the age of FFP, Chelsea can’t throw money around like Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Dybala would have seven seasons before reaching the age of 30. Thus not only could he have a long Chelsea career but it is possible that if his performances were good enough he would also have a high sell-on value.
Dybala is, in every respect, a better piece of business for Chelsea to be doing. Chelsea cannot afford to be reckless with money and Dybala also represents a better tactical fit for Conte and Chelsea going forward.
In future, hopefully Dybala could even partner Tammy Abraham up front in one of the most fearsome striker combinations in the history of the club. It is important to do actual scouting and smart business these days. Don’t have your head turned simply because Atletico Madrid are the critics’ favorite in recent seasons.
Simply throwing around money is not the way Chelsea can operate anymore. Chelsea must be smarter and faster. Helping Antonio Conte establish the culture he had at Juventus and doing smart business can only benefit him as a manager and Chelsea as a club.