Player Focus: What Does Giannelli Imbula Bring to Stoke?
As many expected, deadline day of the January transfer window ended not with a bang, but a whimper. The biggest news of the day came from the Etihad Stadium, where the worst kept secret in football was announced as Manchester City confirmed that Pep Guardiola would succeed Manuel Pellegrini as manager at the end of the season. One of the highlights of the day was Steven Fletcher’s move to Marseille, which took football fans completely by surprise.
However, the biggest deal in the Premier League by far came at Stoke City. Potters boss Mark Hughes had held a long-standing interest in Giannelli Imbula and will have been disappointed to have seen him move to FC Porto last summer. With the midfielder failing to settle in Portugal, Hughes saw an opportunity to secure the youngster’s services and, a month of negotiations later, signed the coveted midfielder.
Hughes’ interest in Imbula came as little shock. The Belgium-born 23-year-old emerged as one of the finest talents in Ligue 1 last season, helping Marseille to a 4th place finish last term. With financial problems trapping the French side in a vice, though, Imbula was one of many key players - including Andre-Pierre Gignac, Andre Ayew and Dimitri Payet - to depart the Velodrome for pastures new.
Imbula’s impact was clear for all to see, with the midfielder completing more dribbles (110) than any other player in Ligue 1 last season. In fact, of the 139 players to attempt 50 or more dribbles since the start of last term, Imbula (73.8%) boats the fourth best dribble success rate, behind Lassana Diarra (81.8%), Nampalys Mendy (76.5%) and Marco Verratti (74.8%). His ability to carry the ball forward from deep is his best trait, with Imbula boasting a statistically calculated WhoScored strength ‘dribbling’.
While he struggled to establish himself under Julen Lopetegui, though no player covered themselves in glory under the Spaniard this season, his quality was never called into question and it’s why the Premier League spent big to take Imbula to Stoke. Under Hughes, the Potters’ philosophy has altered from the more direct approach under Tony Pulis, but they have still been lacking a player capable of winning the ball and driving forward from midfield to give them the perfect balance between defence and attack. Steven N'Zonzi was that player for Stoke in recent years, but he was sold to Sevilla in the summer. Imbula, though, represents a significant upgrade.
Marco van Ginkel’s loan move to PSV Eindhoven opened up space for a new box-to-box midfielder, though the Dutchman struggled to impose himself at the Britannia Stadium. Often used to shield the defence, this was a waste of Van Ginkel’s talents and it’s vital Hughes doesn’t hinder Imbula by playing him primarily as a ball winner. Releasing him from his shackles will help Stoke achieve their aim of a first top-eight finish in England’s top tier since 1975, in the process increasing the chances of securing a previously unlikely Europa League spot.
While Stoke have the attacking personnel to trouble the traditional European contenders, they lacked a link between the two banks of midfield to fully realise their potential. Hughes favours a 4-2-3-1 formation, having used it 21 times in 23 league games this season, but the offensive triumvirate behind the lone striker were often forced to drop deeper to receive possession. This was a waste of their attacking talents, meaning Stoke at times struggled to break teams down that opted to sit back and soak up possession, which is particuarly evident when you consider they have managed to beat Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United but lost to the likes of Sunderland and West Brom this season.
With Imbula, however, Hughes now has at his disposal a midfielder more than capable of bringing possession forward. If he has sufficient cover sweeping up behind him, the midfielder is more than capable of rapidly endearing himself to Stoke fans. Charlie Adam and Ibrahim Afellay may have both been utilised in the deeper creative role, but the pair failed to have the desired effect. In Imbula, though, Hughes can call on a player who can match the duo’s passing ability and add another dimension to the Stoke attack.
A pass success rate of 89.6% shows how capable a performer Imbula is with the ball at his feet, which will be a benefit to the likes of Marko Arnautovic, Xherdan Shaqiri and Bojan. Meanwhile, an average of 2.4 tackles per game in Ligue 1 last season shows he is able to carry out the necessary defensive duties, but with the player pushed higher up the pitch, this will present more goalscoring opportunities for Stoke.
The fact that they spent over £18m to secure his services only highlights the Premier League’s financial power, but he was a player Stoke desperately required if they are to break through the glass ceiling that was preventing the club from progressing up the table.
Having completed the most dribbles in Ligue 1 last season, Imbula will win plenty of duels for the Potters and is capable of adhering to Mark Hughes' approach. As a result I would value him the Buabook match market against an inconsistent Everton side at around £0.30p.
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