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Chelsea defensive midfielder scouting series part four: Declan Rice

By Olaoluwa Nwobodo

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 01: Declan Rice of West Ham United and Christian Pulisic of Chelsea battle for the ball during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Chelsea FC at London Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 01: Declan Rice of West Ham United and Christian Pulisic of Chelsea battle for the ball during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Chelsea FC at London Stadium on July 01, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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West Ham United’s English midfielder Declan Rice (R) challenges for the ball with Tottenham Hotspur’s Brazilian midfielder Lucas Moura (L) during the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at The London Stadium, in east London on February 21, 2021. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE.
West Ham United’s English midfielder Declan Rice (R) challenges for the ball with Tottenham Hotspur’s Brazilian midfielder Lucas Moura (L) during the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at The London Stadium, in east London on February 21, 2021. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. /

Defensive actions

Rice, interestingly, is second best in much of this category, despite playing for a side with a lot less possession, though his defensive numbers are impressive on their own. He has made two interceptions per game since the start of last season, compared to Kante’s 2.4. He has made 2.5 tackles per 90 compared to Kante’s 2.8. As it comes with the territory, being dribbled past is not something a defensive midfielder can always avoid, getting dribbled past 1.2 times per 90 compared to Kante’s 1.1.

He and Kante though are identical in ground duels won per 90 (3.8), but Rice wins his at a 56 percent rate, compared to Kante’s 49 percent. Rice is taller than Kante, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s stronger, though ground duels are a lot more than physical contests. The numbers suggest that Rice is better at winning ground duels because he wins the same as Kante at a much higher rate. Ground duels are important for a defensive midfielder, and an ability to win a majority of them is essential.

Kante and Rice block 0.2 shots per contest and they’re nearly identical in clearances, Rice making 1.3 clearances per 90 compared to Kante’s 1.4. Yes, Kante wins a majority of these comparison, but it is important to remember that he’s eight years older than Rice. If these statistics are this close now, imagine what they’d be like in four or five years time for Rice. Rice’s arrival at Stamford Bridge would likely mean his actions on the ball would increase and his actions off-the-ball will reduce, though that’s not a given as Kante is putting up the defensive numbers he is.

Midfielders—especially defensive midfielders—are hardly ever fully formed at an age as young as 22. But Rice is quite advanced for a 22-year-old and is the youngest midfielder we’ve scrutinized in this series so far, though still not the finished product. He has made 141 senior appearances for West Ham, that’s 141 opportunities to work on his skills in and out of possession at the highest level. He would be a splendid addition to this Chelsea side.

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