Chelsea have built a squad full of brilliant players over the last few years, with the likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella all being genuinely world-class.
However, it would also be fair to say that, so far, their summer signings have not exactly hit the ground running.
In particular, Jamie Gittens has failed to live up to the expectations people had of him after his impressive campaign with Borussia Dortmund last year, during which he recorded 17 goal involvements.
So, it’s not a surprise to see reports linking Chelsea with an exceptionally exciting winger who could end up being a significant upgrade on the Englishman.
Chelsea target Gittens upgrade
With the transfer window less than a month away from reopening, Chelsea have once again been linked with a plethora of brilliant players.
For example, while there has been plenty of talk about Emmanuel Emegha, the Blues have also been linked with his free-scoring teammate, Joaquín Panichelli.
On top of that, the West Londoners have also been one of several sides linked with Nottingham Forest’s imposing Murillo.
However, while both players would improve Maresca’s squad, because of where they play, neither could be described as an upgrade on Gittens, unlike Yan Diamonde.
Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are one of a handful of top teams interested in signing the Ivorian winger.
In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the Blues’ board are convinced about the 19-year-old wonderkid and see him fitting into the team perfectly.
However, on top of having to get ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, the Pensionsers would also have to stump up a lot of money to secure the player.
According to the report, RB Leipzig would want up to €100m to sell their star asset, which is about £87m, but even so, Diomande looks like a player Chelsea should go all out for, especially as he’d be a significant Gittens upgrade.
How Diomande compares Gittens
Now, while Diomande is someone who can play on both flanks and has actually spent a little more time on the right recently, he is seen as a left-sided player.
Therefore, were he to join Chelsea next month, one of his main rivals for game time would be Gittens, but who is the better player?
Well, when it comes to raw output, which is fundamentally the most crucial metric of all, it’s not even close.
For example, in 15 first-team appearances this season, totalling just 951 minutes, the Ivorian star has scored seven goals and provided four assists.
That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.36 games, or every 86.45 minutes, which is a rate of return that lends credence to journalist Bence Bocsák’s claim that he is a “generational talent.”
Diomande vs Gittens
Player
Diomande
Gittens
Appearances
15
18
Minutes
951′
830′
Goals
7
1
Assists
4
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.73
0.27
Minutes per Goal Involvement
86.45
138.33′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In stark contrast, the Englishman has scored a single goal and provided five assists in 18 appearances this season, totalling 830 minutes.
That comes out to a pretty underwhelming average of a goal involvement every three games, or every 138.33 minutes.
Moreover, a caveat about the Reading-born ace’s age cannot be made, as the Leipzig star is just 19 and already running games in attack.
On top of having the better output, the Abidjan-born superstar in the making also has some brilliant underlying numbers to his name.
For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 2% for progressive carries, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.
Finally, while the competition is less fierce, it is impressive that the Ivorian monster has already won four senior caps for his country, compared to none for the Englishman.
Ultimately, Gittens may well come good, but at the same time, Diomande is massively outperforming him and looks like someone Chelsea should break the bank on.
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