The stats behind whether Sunderland should sign Jhon Lucumi, Bafode Diakite, or Loic Bade this summer
Sunderland are on the hunt for a new defender this summer transfer window
With exactly six weeks to go until the summer transfer window closes, Sunderland still have plenty of work to get through.
While several deals have been confirmed, the Black Cats still look light in certain departments, and as a Premier League curtain-raiser against West Ham looms ever larger on the horizon, the assumption is that Kristjaan Speakman and his recruitment team will continue to burn the proverbial midnight oil as they look to bolster Regis Le Bris’ ranks over the coming weeks.
Presumably, high on Speakman’s list of priorities will be the heart of defence. In the aftermath of Chris Mepham’s return to parent club Bournemouth, and with Luke O’Nien, Aji Alese, and Leo Hjelde all expected to be sidelined during those first, tentative weeks of the season, Sunderland currently have just Dan Ballard, Jenson Seelt, and perhaps Joe Anderson - depending on your capacity for believing in improbable redemption arcs - to call upon at centre-back.
Unsurprisingly, then, there has been a flurry of reports linking the Black Cats with potential recruits in recent days, with three names in particular catching the eye. According to various scribblers from across the continent, Speakman and his crack squad of transfer minions have identified LOSC Lille star Bafode Diakite, Bologna talent Jhon Lucumi, and Ahmed Abdullahi’s new best mate Loic Bade - currently on the books at Sevilla - as possible candidates.
All come with towering reputations and similarly hefty reported price tags attached, but - at the risk of turning this into a pastiche of a Harry Hill bit - which of Sunderland’s apparent defensive wish list is better? As you might expect, the answer is not necessarily a simple or definitive one.
Indeed, a cursory glance at stats database FBref would suggest that all three players have both their respective strengths and certain areas in which they are perhaps lacking a touch.
Of course, if Sunderland are to spend big on a defender, then the first expectation of any new acquisition would be that he can actually defend. To that end, it is Lucumi who perhaps edges ahead of Bade and Diakite. The Colombian international boasts the highest number of tackles made and won per 90 minutes last season, as well as the most blocks, the most ball recoveries, and the most combined number of challenges and interceptions. Promising stuff.
But then you dig a little deeper, and it becomes apparent that Lucumi also recorded the lowest percentage of aerial duels won per 90 minutes (a relatively underwhelming 50%), the lowest number of clearances, and the most errors that led to opposition shots on goal. Not so promising stuff.
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.
Instead, it is Diakite who, according to the number-crunchers, is the most aerially dominant, while it is Bade who is the most likely to clear the ball and keep things neat and tidy in his defensive third.
On the front foot, Diakite registered the highest pass completion rate last term, as well as the furthest combined distance of ball progression per 90 minutes. Bearing in mind that whoever is parachuted in on Wearside is, for now at least, likely to step into Luke O’Nien’s forward-thinking role at the back - a key facet of the way that Le Bris has sought to set out his side since his arrival in England - the Frenchman’s handiness in possession is not to be overlooked. The fact that he also has the highest rate of long passes completed only furthers his claim too.
Who, then, should Sunderland be pushing to sign over the coming days and weeks? The short answer is, it is hard to say for sure. The stats would suggest that, on balance, Lucumi is - probably - the most dependable defensive presence, but Diakite’s obvious physicality and passing range could prove to be valuable assets in the top flight. Then again, if reports are to be believed, he would set the Black Cats back some £35 million, and it is worth emphasising that it isn’t as if Bade is any great slouch either.
In other words, regardless of who they eventually land on, Sunderland do appear to be shopping in the right places, and there is a huge amount of encouragement to be taken from that.
Your next Sunderland read: How all 21 Sunderland players fared in Sevilla draw