Jose Mourinho has packed his Chelsea side with small, creative players since his return to Stamford Bridge and he seems to be ready to inject some more, with French sources stating that he holds an interest in Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Javier Pastore.
But with Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, Oscar and Kevin de Bruyne to choose from, how does the 24-year-old compared to the current crop in terms of statistics?
In terms of chances created this season in their respected leagues, it’s Hazard who takes the crown with 22 key passes. Next is Mata and Oscar with 14, while Pastore has made eight.
Next we take a look at pass completion. After all, strikers can only score with what they are fed. Mata claims this one by some distance (89%) with de Bruyne (83%) and Pastore (82%) taking second and third.
What about shot accuracy? Hazard has hit the target with 67% of his efforts, while Oscar has racked up an accuracy of 47%. Pastore comes third with 43%.
Finally, we end on personal duels, which takes into account attempted take ons, headers, tackles and fouls for and against. Pastore wins this one with a 64% success. He has won 7/10 of his take ons, and 10/13 of his tackles. Second is Mata on 61% and third is Oscar on 52%.
I hope that gives you a clearer perception of what the PSG man is about, but if not here’s a video: