Sunderland make 'move' to sign Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, his 87% and 7.64 stats speak volumes
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's previous Premier League stats highlight exactly why Sunderland are after his services right now.
The Black Cats are yet to make real waves in the market this summer after such an expensive window followed their promotion to the Premier League.
Several first-team players have departed, while veteran defender Thomas Meunier has arrived as their sole senior signing so far.
Regis Le Bris is set to address his lack of midfield depth this summer, even after Granit Xhaka decided to stay on Wearside amid real interest from Chelsea.
The 30-year-old is valued at around £12.8m, with Sunderland eyeing another Xhaka-esque move for an ageing ex-Premier League star.
He featured in the Premier League for two different seasons while at Fulham, and his statistics show that Sunderland are right to be considering a move for his services.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa was a standout in the Premier League at Fulham
Fulham spent a club-record £22.3m to sign Anguissa from Marseille in 2018, after he had spent two seasons as a regular for the Ligue 1 side.
The Cameroonian international became an instant starter, but suffered from injury concerns and was unable to stop the Cottagers from being instantly relegated back to the Championship.
He still emerged with impressive statistics from his 22 appearances and 16 starts, with 87.3 per cent pass accuracy, 2.49 successful dribbles per 90 and 7.64 duels won per 90.
His defensive qualities were also worth praise, as he made 2.84 tackles per 90, 2.01 interceptions per 90 and 7.05 recoveries per 90.
His second Premier League campaign came in 2020-21 after Fulham were promoted back to the top flight, and Anguissa again shone as he started in 29 of his 36 league games.
He registered three assists after creating 0.94 chances per 90, while also completing 3.34 successful dribbles per 90 and winning a whopping 9.2 duels per 90.
Once again, Anguissa also impressed on the defensive side of the game, as he made 2.72 tackles per 90, 1.95 interceptions per 90 and 7.66 recoveries per 90.
He has since gone on to be a two-time Serie A winner at Napoli and played regularly in the Champions League, so would clearly be a shrewd signing for the Black Cats this summer.
What has Napoli chief said about Anguissa leaving?
Sources have revealed to Football Insider that the Sunderland dressing room has received a huge boost from Xhaka staying at the club.
He could soon be anchoring their midfield next to Anguissa, although the Black Cats have some work to do to agree a deal.
That is because Napoli director Giovanni Manna recently said: "Frank Anguissa has a contract with Napoli, so I see no need to negotiate with him. He is not for sale.”
It is unclear whether he will stick to his word, though, especially if the 30-year-old pushes to leave with less than a year left on his current deal.