Chelsea 2014-15 Transfer Analysis: Is Juan Cuadrado an Improvement Over Andre Schurrle?
Chelsea stole the headlines on the winter transfer deadline day with a pair of moves that are sure to shake up the roster.
The first order of business was shipping out German attacker Andre Schurrle while the second included bringing in Colombian star Juan Guillermo Cuadrado.
Some might look at it as a like-for-like replacement, as both men are attackers on the right side of the pitch, but Cuadrado can play more than just one position on the wing, which is where Schurrle was mainly used under Jose Mourinho. According to WhoScored, Cuadrado has played at the forward position in all areas (right, left and center), attacking midfielder and defensive midfielder.
This is where Chelsea fans and Mourinho would defend the move. Cuadrado is unlikely to jump right in Chelsea's starting XI as the team is winning and throwing him into an unfamiliar system could create imbalance. But his versatility automatically provides the manager with options and allows other players to rest at any given moment. Chelsea is still competing in three tournaments and having its players rested is essential to having any chance of claiming one or more.
But Cuadrado also adds an element of speed at the forward position and a tremendous ability to dribble at or around opponents. It is a risky proposition and when he is off his game, he can be a detriment to his squad. But when Cuadrado is at his best with the ball on his feet, he creates a tremendous unpredictability that destabilizes opposing defenses.
That is something that Schurrle could never provide. While Cuadrado is averaging 2.5 dribbles per game, Schurrle is not averaging more than 0.4 in the English Premier League. Part of that is his function on the team and Chelsea's style of play. But the other part of it is that he is simply not inclined to do those kinds of play. That means that he generally adheres to the game plan well enough, but fails to add any attacking dimension to the team the way that Cuadrado can and likely will. Historically, Cuadrado averages 2.5 dribbles per game while the German averages 1.5.
Both players are solid playmakers, but Cuadrado's numbers are better this year and, historically, Cuadrado makes 1.3 key passes per game; Schurrle only averages 0.9 per game.
The only area offensively in which Schurrle is marginally superior historically to Cuadrado from a statistics standpoint is in shots per game. Schurrle has a career average of 2.4 shots per game while the Colombian averages 1.8. That said, Schurrle has not averaged more than 1.9 shots per game since joining Chelsea in 2013-14 while Cuadrado is currently averaging 3.1 shots per game and has not averaged less than 1.8 since the 2010-11 season.
Historically, Cuadrado connects on more passes than Schurrle which is rather surprising when one considers their styles of play. Schurrle, in particular, is the product of a passing-oriented German national side and his role in Chelsea was predicated on passing first. But this year is he is averaging under 20 passes per game (Cuadrado averages over 40) and is averaging far fewer long balls than the Colombian, as well.
The real reason for this move is because Cuadrado is decent at defending. There are many who believe that the Colombian will be employed as a wing back to provide Chelsea with even more attacking width. It is a risky proposition to be sure, especially when accounting for Cuadrado's risky dribbling, but it does give Mourinho some options for experimentation. He tops Schurrle in all defensive categories, though he does create more fouls per game as well.
There is, however, one major factor to consider when looking at these numbers. Cuadrado has played in 1,450 minutes in the Italian league for Fiorentina this season, while Schurrle has only managed a total of 433 minutes in the Premier League. Both competitions offer different challenges to different players and it is possible that Cuadrado, who has only known the Italian league throughout most of his career, could struggle with the more physical nature of playing in England. Moreover, how will Cuadrado adapt to a new system and with possibly fewer minutes?
Moreover, the Colombian-born Cuadrado, who is in his prime years, is actually two years older than Schurrle, who is just entering into his prime athletic years. It should be interesting to see how this move turns out for both sides. Statistically it looks like a win for the Blues, but there are other factors that could change this.