Chelsea added to their options in defence late on transfer deadline day with the acquisition of Davide Zappacosta from Torino.
After moves for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Bayern’s Rafinha failed to materialise, Antonio Conte turned to his 25-year-old compatriot for a reported fee of £25 million.
The Blues’ sporting director Michael Emenalo had this to say on the new arrival:
“Davide is a player of international calibre who Antonio Conte knows well and we have been aware of for some time. We are very pleased to be able to bring him to the club and believe he will become an important member of the squad.”
And Zappacosta explainedjust what sort of player the Blues are getting:
“Initially I started as a winger but I’ve been moved further back, playing as a more traditional full-back, and I can also play as a wing-back which seems to be the role which suits me best. I used to play in a 3-5-2 under Gian Piero Ventura at Torino, and while it wasn’t exactly the same, I think I will find it quite easy to settle in and obviously there is time to learn.”
The History
Zappacosta joined the youth set-up of his hometown club Sora at six years old and progressed through the ranks before moving to neighbouring club Isola Liri.
Snapped up by Atalanta in 2011, he was farmed out on loan to lower-league outfit Avellino for the next three seasons, producing three goals and one assist in 83 appearances.
Returning to his parent club for the 2014/15 campaign, he featured at both right-back and on the right wing, serving up three goals and an assist in 29 Serie A outings.
The six foot one defender was on the move the following summer, though, as Torino shelled out for his services in July 2015.
He failed to secure a regular spot in his first season, though – with just 13 of his 25 league appearances in the starting XI, he managed only one goal and an assist. Last term, however, was far more convincing – over 29 appearances, he produced one goal and five assists.
On the international stage, Zappacosta earned his first call-up in May 2016 thanks to then-manager Conte and has since turned out for Italy on four occasions.
The Prospects
Conte’s penchant for a three-man backline means that Zappacosta is set to vie with Victor Moses for the role on the Chelsea right of a 3-4-2-1 set-up.
Named on the teamsheet in 29 of the 32 matches that Chelsea operated with a wing-back system from Gameweek 7 onwards, the Nigerian’s security of starts is now in question with Conte looking to compete for silverware on a number of fronts.
Judging by the numbers, Zappacosta certainly carries a greater threat in the final third. He averaged an impressive 56.9 minutes per key pass last season, supplying 167 crosses with 28.7% accuracy.
By comparison, Moses created a chance every 92.4 minutes and registered 14.2% accuracy from a total of 120 crosses.
Put into perspective, only West Brom’s Chris Brunt (176) supplied more cross among FPL defenders last term, though he lagged a little behind Zappacosta for frequency of key passes (62 minutes). Indeed, as did Marcos Alonso on the Chelsea left, teeing up a team-mate every 112.3 minutes.
In terms of goal threat, Zappacosta’s average of 83.4 minutes per attempt in Serie A last season was some way behind both Moses (55.4) and Alonso (58.6) down the Chelsea flanks.
Yet with just three goals and as many assists to his name, Moses’ lack of output was a clear point of concern for Conte, given that Alonso provided six goals and five assists down the left.
With new target man Alvaro Morata more adept in the air than Diego Costa, Zappacosta’s delivery out wide could prove a vital upgrade in the final third for Conte.
Defensively, Moses and Zappacosta were very similar for total tackles (66 v 61), successful tackles (47 v 44) and % of successful tackles (71.2% v 72.1%). It’s a similar story for interceptions (41 v 38 to Moses) and clearances (51 to 58), though it’s worth noting that the Nigerian played 160 minutes more in his respective league.
In the air, Zappacosta has the definite edge, winning 48.7% of his headed duels to Moses’ 35%, with Alonso registering a healthy 64% – more than any of Chelsea’s central defenders in 2016/17.
Ultimately, when it comes to investing in the Blues’ backline, Alonso remains the standout candidate. With two goals to his name already, the Spaniard boasts a share of free-kicks and also leads the way among FPL defenders for total shots (eight) and efforts on target (four).
Conte’s failure to acquire strong competition for the left wing-back role merely enhances Alonso’s prospects – despite a price hike to 7.1 in Fantasy Premier League, he’s now owned by a lofty 20% of managers.
Yet Zappacosta’s relatively kind price tag of 6.0 (£8.7m in Sky) may play a part in some managers’ thinking, given that Moses is 6.5. Certainly, the new boy should not be overlooked altogether if he can quickly cement a regular role, though, at that price point, David Luiz offers a greater security of starts for the time being.
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