Better than Garnacho: Chelsea agree personal terms to sign £61m target
da betsson： It would be something of an understatement to say this summer has been a busy one for Chelsea.
da esoccer bet： Enzo Maresca’s men hardly had a moment to catch their breath after winning the Conference League before they were thrown into the Club World Cup, which they then won.
Likewise, even though the board have made plenty of signings over recent years, they’ve been just as busy this summer, picking up some genuinely exciting talents like Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens.
However, they aren’t done there, as they’ve also been linked with another international star, someone who’d be a far better signing than another player touted for a move to Stamford Bridge: Alejandro Garnacho.
Chelsea target massive Garnacho upgrade
While most of Chelsea’s business this summer has been conducted without much controversy or fan backlash, it wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that there is a portion of the fan base who wouldn’t be overjoyed with the potential signing of Garnacho.
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After all, the Argentine international has a massive public falling out with Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, and while he’s talented, the supposed price tag of around £40m might be too much for someone who could disrupt the dressing room.
So, it’s good news that it now appears as if the club are closing in on someone else, someone who’d be a far better signing.
At least that is according to a recent report from Sports Zone, which claims that Chelsea are now rapidly advancing with their interest in Xavi Simons.
In fact, the report has revealed that the Blues have now reached an agreement on personal terms for the RB Leipzig star, and that a first bid is expected sometime today.
While the report makes no mention of how much the Dutchman might cost the West Londoners, other stories from this month have claimed that the German outfit want around £61m.
It could therefore be an expensive transfer to get over the line, but given Simons’ ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a way better signing than Garnacho.
Why Simons would be a better signing than Garnacho
So, if we ignore all the potential off-the-pitch problems and focus solely on what they can do on the pitch, why would Simons be a far better signing than Garnacho?
Well, first and foremost, the Dutchman is simply the far more dangerous attacking outlet, and that is clearly shown in their respective output from last season.
In his 33 games for Leipzig, totalling just 2763 minutes, the 22-year-old “game-changer,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 11 goals and provided eight assists.
That means the former Paris Saint-Germain gem managed to average a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 144 minutes.
In contrast, the Madrid-born ace scored just 11 goals and provided ten assists in 58 appearances, totalling 3,568 minutes, for the Red Devils last term.
Garnacho vs Simons in 24/25
Players
Simons
Garnacho
Appearances
33
58
Minutes
2763′
3568′
Goals
11
11
Assists
8
10
Goal Involvements per Match
0.57
0.36
Minutes per Goal Involvements
144′
169.90′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In other words, the Argentine international averaged a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or every 169.90 minutes.
Unfortunately for the United ace, the one-sided nature of this comparison only continues when we take a look at their national team statistics as well.
For example, the former PSV Eindhoven superstar has already won 28 senior caps for the Netherlands, in which he’s scored five goals, provided four assists, made one World Cup appearance and six at the European Championships.
For his efforts, the Argentine has won just eight caps, one of which was a substitute appearance at the Copa América, and he’s only provided one assist in that time.
Ultimately, while Garnacho has undeniable talent, Simons is simply the better and more complete player, and therefore, Chelsea should be looking to sign him over the United ace.
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