Brighton and Hove Albion have added to their midfield, signing Chema Andres from Stuttgart for a reported £15.5m.
The young Spanish midfielder has previously been likened to former Manchester City man Rodri, though he has tried to play down those comparisons.
“They’re more about our physical profile, because he’s still miles ahead,” Andres said in an interview with The Athletic in April.
But is there anything else to the “baby Rodri” hype? And can Andres become Brighton’s very own Spanish general?
In this article, we’ll cover
What the stats say
Andres made 39 appeaerances for Stuttgart across all competitions last season, with nine of those coming in the Europa League. He started six of those matches as Stuttgart reached the last-16.
Given Stuttgart’s superiority over some of their opponents, Andres found himself affecting games further forward. Stuttgart were in control of a lot of their matches, keeping the game in the opposition half.
But there was also the fact that Andres was often paired in midfield with Angelo Stiller. The German is a high-volume ball-handler at the base of midfield.
Andres still excelled in his defensive data, though. He won plenty of aerial duels and ground duels, while making tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries.
Controller tendencies
Andres is composed on the ball in deep areas. He has a calm temperament and upright frame when probing for passing options. The young Spaniard is good at controlling the tempo when facing play, using those smaller provocative touches the move the opposition press and bait pressure.
Despite being just 21, Andres already shows responsibility in the buildup to constantly show for the ball and directing others.
He has a good range of passes in his locker, too. Andres is able to “lull and punch” to catch the opposition off guard from a slower tempo, play quick one- or two-touch combinations or have those touches himself to access spaces between the lines quickly.
When he receives the ball in more congested spaces, Andres scans frequently to give himself 360-degree awareness. He can then anticipate pressure from different angles. Andres’ long-legged frame also allows Andres to protect the ball well in these areas.
While Andres looks best in a more fixed pivot position, he also found himself in more advanced areas at Stuttgart. Here, he had the ability to play give and goes, play against the opposition’s momentum and act as a bounce board for forward combinations.
Defensive asset
Standing at 6’4″, Andres is good in the air. He reads the flight of the ball well and controls his headed clearances into passes when possible.
Andres has good anticipation to cut out passes, using his long lings to contest loose duels and act as a defensive screen. When if players get in front of Andres, he is still able to impose himself defensively from behind. This is useful at the top of the box, when it comes to forcing attackers away from goal. Andres can use his length to block shots, shut off passing lanes and stop carries.
When closing down the ball at pace, Andres often arrives with planted feet and looks to lunge in to regain possession. This does sometimes lead to him being beaten when stepping out in larger spaces.
Mixed with his lack of mobility in larger spaces, Andres is better suited to a screening role with a more mobile partner. Or a defensive scheme which manages those spaces.
Tactical fit
Fabian Hurzeler shifts his between a double pivot and a three-man midfield, utilising rotations in the build up to progress play.
As already mentioned, Andres adds quality in the buildup, which will only become more clear in a team where he is given primary ball handler responsibility in deep phases.
But aside from that, Andres adds height to the midfield unit. He contested 6.5 aerial duels per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga last season, winning 3.6 per 90. That’s a success rate of 55.91%. Andres also made 2.3 interceptions and 5.6 ball recoveries per 90.
Andres would fit the role of the single No.6 in Hurzeler’s system, giving a more fixed reference point in the buildup, while other midfielders have freedom to float and interchange heights.
When Yasin Ayari is back, Andres can be eased in, either in a single pivot as mentioned above, or in a double pivot alongside Ayari, who can be a more mobile build up asset.
Brighton have enough depth in midfield to ease Andres in, but given the quality he possesses, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him secure a starting spot very quickly at his new club.