André-Frank Zambo Anguissa is on route to becoming one of Europe’s finest defensive midfielders
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa was The Man of the Match in Napoli’s game against AS Roma last night. The Cameroonian is slowly developing into one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe under the guidance of manager Luciano Spalletti.
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa ‘s from Fulham
Anguissa has been highly rated by football scouts in recent years. The player hot his start at Ligue 1’s Olympique de Marseille in 2015. Strong performances caught the eye of Fulham, a Premier League side in 2018 when they managed to transfer the player.
With Fulham dropping to the Championship, the team was forced to reorganize its squad. André-Frank Zambo Anguissa is seen as a player they can rely on for the future. Because of that, he was loaned, not transferred, to Villareal in 2019, and to Napoli this season. It’s proven to be a great decision for Napoli.
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s stats as a defensive midfielder
New Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti insisted on bringing André-Frank Zambo Anguissa over to the Diego Maradona stadium. Spalletti has opted to play Anguissa as a creative defensive midfielder, usually in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
This worked particualrly well last night when Anguissa was the best player on the pitch against AS Roma. The midfielder made 7 dribbles, dove into tackles, and had a pass success rate of 92%.
Up in the stats with Cammavinga and Rabiot
According to stats, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa is at the moment one of the most efficient defensive midfielders in all of Europe. His profile and abilities draw comparisons with Real Madrid’s Eduardo Cammavinga or Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot.
Anguissa has started nearly all matches for Napoli this season. While he has not scored nor produced an assist yet, he has shone in other regards.
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa‘s passing has been superb. He has a completion rate of 90.7%. He is able to find great through balls, creating 2.67 goal-scoring chances per 90 minutes, more than most players in his position.
And, goals, could be coming his way. André-Frank Zambo Anguissa has an xG of 0.4 per 90 minutes, nearly the same as Cammavinga, Pepe Matar Sarr of Metz, or Adrien Rabiot. The Cameroonian makes 1.1 shots on target per game.
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa also contributes defensively. The player presses intensely and can make vital tackles. This season he has made 2 tackles on average per 90 minutes. He’s won the majority of them, both in the midfield area and Napoli’s final third. When pressing, the Naples side won possession back 32.3% of the time within 5 seconds of losing the ball.
What’s next for André-Frank Zambo Anguissa?
At 25-years old André-Frank Zambo Anguissa has already played in four of the five best leagues in the world. The future is bright for the defensive midfielder.
Napoli is gunning for the Serie A title this year and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa is a vital component. It remains to be seen whether the player will become a permanent feature in Naples, or if he will return to England. Either way, Anguissa is on his way to becoming a star.
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