Jeff Reine-Adelaide completes the eighth-most successful dribbles per minute in the top five European leagues, according to statistics released this week.
1Jeff Reine-Adelaide
The CIES Football Observatory put together a top-50 ranking of players in Europe’s top five leagues based on the lowest minutes per successful dribble. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi was in first place, and other big names like Eden Hazard and Ousmane Dembele also featured in the top five.
However, former Arsenal youngster Jeff Reine-Adelaide also made an appearance in the top 10, as you can see below:
- Lionel Messi – 19.2 minutes (67% success rate)
- Allan Saint-Maximin – 19.8 (60%)
- Eden Hazard – 21.0 (73%)
- Naim Sliti – 21.4 (72%)
- Ousmane Dembele – 21.7 (63%)
- Jadon Sancho – 24.1 (61%)
- Marcus Thuram – 24.2 (72%)
- Jeff Reine-Adelaide – 24.7 (61%)
- Wilfried Zaha – 25.6 (54%)
- Angel Correa – 27.1 (65%)
As usual, when an ex-Arsenal player is having a bit of success, there will be those asking why the club ever sold him. It’s worth taking these dribbling stats in context though.
Although Reine-Adelaide is undoubtedly an excellent dribbler, he’s really struggled to add anything else to his game so far. WhoScored list dribbling as one of his strengths in their statistical analysis, but nothing else. They have crossing and defensive contribution as his weaknesses.
It’s all well and good beating players one-on-one, but if you aren’t strong at creating chances, playing through balls, finishing, crossing, or even passing, then what are you going to do once you’ve gone past someone? Go past them again?
The 21-year-old is still young enough to develop and add more to his game, of course. Until that happens, Arsenal shouldn’t have any regrets about letting him go to play regular football elsewhere.
Arsenal have been linked with signing another player in the above top 10 list, click ‘Next’ to find out which one.