Lorenzo Insigne vs Willian: a stats comparison between Chelsea’s transfer target and their struggling winger

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Willian’s decline from one of Chelsea’s most important players to a player whose heart doesn’t seem in  it, has been remarkable.

Fans adored Willian because of his speed, tricky feet and ability to score absolute screamers.

But ever since rumours linking him Barcelona and Manchester United have surfaced, the Brazilian doesn’t look interested.

Because of his decline, Chelsea are consistently linked with players who directly fill Willian’s position.

And one such player linked to a move to Stamford Bridge is Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne.

The Italy international played under Maurizio Sarri at Napoli and improved dramatically with his coaching.

So, as Insigne would be a direct replacement for Willian, let’s have a look at how their starts to the season compare:

Goals

At Chelsea, Willian’s highest goalscoring season was last season where he scored 13 goals.

However, this season has started slowly for him as he’s only got three goals in all competitions.

Insigne, on the other hand, is off to his best start to a season under new boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Whereas his highest goal tally was 20 before this season, Insigne’s already got 10 goals in 14 games for the Partenopei.

Assists

One of Willian’s best attributes is ability to deliver a perfect cross from the wing or from a free kick.

This means he’s always had lots of assists, and this seasons no different as he’s got four already.

However, Insigne is on another level when it comes to assists as the Italian had 11 last season.

But Insigne’s only got three this season as Ancelotti has transformed him into more of a goalscorer.

Verdict

Often stats alone don’t provide the full picture when it comes to football.

But in this case, I think they highlight Willian’s plight very well and suggest he should be moved on to accommodate Insigne’s arrival.