Comparing Jack Grealish’s 2019-20 stats to Man Utd’s current midfielders
Reports have linked Jack Grealish with a summer switch from Aston Villa to Manchester United, with Goal even suggesting the midfielder has already given the green light for a transfer.
Grealish has been one of the most impressive performers outside the Premier League’s ‘big six’ clubs this season, thriving upon his return to the top flight.
We’ve compared the 24-year-old’s Premier League stats from 2019-20 to his potential competition for a place in Manchester United’s midfield, Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba, Fred, Andreas Pereira, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata. (Bruno Fernandes has been excluded due to a lack of minutes, while we’ve ignored Nemanja Matic as he tends to sit in front of the back four on account of being unable to run.)
Goals and assists
In 23 Premier League appearances to date, Grealish has registered an eye-catching seven goals and five assists at a rate of a goal or assist every 172 minutes.
Fred and Lingard have failed to provide a single goal or assist this season, while Pogba (two assists at one every 260.5 minutes), McTominay (three goals and one assist at one every 363.75 minutes), Pereira (one goal and three assists at one every 361 minutes) and Mata (two assist at one every 357.5 minutes) all trail Grealish.
It should probably be pointed out that Grealish enjoys more freedom than the majority of those players in terms of his role on the pitch, although he is also registering such numbers in a side struggling towards the bottom of the table.
Jack Grealish is ready to join #mufc– with the outline of a deal already approved by the 24 year old – but formal transfer talks between the two clubs have not yet taken place. Grealish has already begun house hunting in anticipation of a transfer to Man Utd. #muzone [Goal]
— United Zone (@ManUnitedZone_) February 9, 2020
Passing and attacking
Grealish’s five assists have come as a result of him creating an average of 2.7 chances per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season.
Pogba (2.8 per 90) is the only United midfielder able to better that tally. Mata is not too far behind with 2.1 chances created per 90, followed by Lingard and Pereira (both 1.9), Fred (1.6) and finally McTominay (0.9).
Grealish’s ambitious passing comes at a completion rate of 85%. Fred (88.2%), Mata (88.3%) and Lingard (87.2%) all record better pass completion rates, although Grealish does better Pogba (82.8%), McTominay (78.8%) and Pereira (77.5%) in this regard.
Noted for his ability to beat opposition players, Grealish completes 2.4 successful dribbles per 90 minutes at a success rate of 66.6%.
That figure is higher than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s current options in midfield. Fred leads the way for United with 1.7 per 90 at a success rate of 70.8%. This is then followed by Pogba (1.6 at 61.5%), McTominay (1.5 at 65.2%), Lingard (1.3 at 56.5%), Pereira (1.2 at 60%) and Mata (0.6 at 42.9%).
READ: Jack Grealish: While the hooves shake the ground, he pirouettes in slippers
Defensive contributions
Grealish is not particularly renowned for his defensive work-rate, and his average of 1.1 tackles per 90 minutes betters only Mata, who averages 0.9 per 90.
Lingard (1.4), Pereira (1.5), Pogba (1.9), Fred (2.3), McTominay (2.4) all post higher averages than Grealish.
The Villa man’s average of 0.5 interceptions per 90 minutes is level with Pogba and betters Pereira (0.4), Lingard (0.3) and Mata (0.0). It does, however, fall well short of McTominay (1.4) and Fred (1.6).
More Manchester United
Jack Grealish: While the hooves shake the ground, he pirouettes in slippers
Can you name Alex Ferguson’s 30 most-used players at Manchester United?
The 20 players who played just one Premier League game for Man Utd
Owen Hargreaves: Man Utd’s cursed yet brilliant midfield maestro