Stats suggest Man United should target 22-year-old instead of Chelsea star
Oulala's stats reveal Monaco star Tiemoue Bakayoko is a better option that Chelsea star Nemanja Matic for Manchester United this summer
Chelsea and Manchester United’s transfer activity appears to be inextricably linked this summer.
The Premier League champions are thought to be closing in on the £35.1m signing of Tiemoue Bakayoko despite Manchester United having an interest in the 22-year-old.
Jose Mourinho, though, is reported to have prioritised signing Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic to bolster his defensive midfield options ahead of a return to the Champions League.
According to reports in the English media, Chelsea would be open to selling the Serbia international to their rivals once a deal for Bakayoko is complete.
However, Oulala stats suggest that Manchester United would be better off focusing their efforts on the France international too.
Comparing Bakayoko and Matic in eight key areas, the results show that the Monaco star would be a better defensive option for Chelsea and Manchester United next season.
The Blues midfielder leads Bakayoko in terms of distribution. Matic made an average of 53 passes per game in the 2016-17 season, including 0.7 key passes per outing.
However, the Monaco star excels when it comes to defending. Bakayoko won 2.2 tackles per game in comparison to Chelsea midfielder’s 1.5 tackles per game.
The athletic French midfielder averaged 1.8 interceptions and 1.7 clearances per game to help Monaco to win the Ligue 1 title and reach the Champions League semi-finals.
Given his age and his stats, Bakayoko appears to be a better long-term option rather than 28-year-old Matic for both Chelsea and Manchester United.
