Split image - Chelsea unveil new signing Jordan Henderson and Granit Xhaka of Sunderland looks on
Split image - Chelsea unveil new signing Jordan Henderson and Granit Xhaka of Sunderland looks on
Chelsea recently completed the signing of Jordan Henderson, but in an ideal world, Xabi Alonso would have brought in Granit Xhaka.
Chelsea were interested in signing Xhaka before turning to Henderson, with Alonso having been keen on a reunion with his former player.
However, Sunderland’s stance was that the 33-year-old is not for sale and refused to budge.
Henderson is not a bad alternative. The former Brentford man will add experience and leadership to Chelsea’s squad, even more than Xhaka would have brought. But in terms of being on the football pitch, how do they compare?
Chelsea's potential XI for cup games
Chelsea's potential XI for cup games
Well, Henderson and Xhaka are quite similar midfielders. Both men want to be on the ball and control the tempo of games.
Last season, though, Xhaka did that better. For example, according to WhoScored, the Sunderland captain had a pass success rate of 83.7%, whereas Henderson had a success rate of 77.9%.
Xhaka also averaged more passes per game, completing 53.1. Henderson’s average was 35.2.
Left to right: Granit Xhaka of Switzerland, Jordan Henderson of England
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Defensively, Xhaka made more tackles than Henderson, averaging 1.5 to the Englishman’s 0.8. He made more interceptions, too.
Going forward, both players scored one goal each in the Premier League, but Xhaka also managed to record six assists, three more than what Henderson produced. However, Xhaka did play significantly more minutes.
When it came to key passes, the Switzerland international made one per game. Henderson’s average was 0.6.
Split image - Chelsea unveil new signing Jordan Henderson and Granit Xhaka of Sunderland applauds
Split image - Chelsea unveil new signing Jordan Henderson and Granit Xhaka of Sunderland applauds
Granit Xhaka trumps new Chelsea signing Jordan Henderson
Has Henderson had a better career than Xhaka? Easily, he captained Liverpool to the Premier League title and Champions League trophy. And in his prime, the England star was arguably a better player than Xhaka.
However, it is quite clear that Xhaka is currently the superior midfielder, or at least statistically.
While Alonso will still be pleased with Henderson’s arrival, it is not hard to see why Xhaka was his priority and above the ex-Liverpool captain on Chelsea’s shortlist.