Presnel Kimpembe is not a worthy Rudiger replacement at Chelsea
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 10 Jun 2022 14:02 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea’s quest for a left-sided central defender has seen manager Thomas Tuchel turn his thoughts towards PSG’s Presnel Kimpembe, according to reports.
With the departure of Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer to Real Madrid, the Blues are left without the man who anchored that area of their defence for 18 months under Tuchel.
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There appears to have been little progress made in terms of finding a replacement, with Kimpembe the latest player linked with the Stamford Bridge club.
FranceFootball suggests that Tuchel’s dream is to sign PSG’s Marquinhos, but he appreciates that is simply a non-starter due to the Brazilian’s status at Parc des Princes.
Would Kimpembe, then, be an adequate replacement?
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The answer is a flat no, and indeed it was rather surprising such a deal was reported given Tuchel’s history at PSG, where Kimpembe’s spirit is unquestioned but his concentration and consistency are constant sources of worry in the stands, where there is a persistent fear that he will make a calamitous error that might cost his side.
The gulf between the France international and Marquinhos is a significant one, which is particularly evident when viewing the details of their performance during the 2021/22 Ligue 1 season.
According to data analytics experts SciSports, Marquinhos was the eighth-strongest centre-back in Ligue 1 last season, whereas Kimpembe ranked in the bottom third at 67th out of 97.
While the Frenchman performed well in possession – his ball retention was second among Ligue 1 centre-backs – he did not fare well in the key defensive aspects of the game. Curiously, neither did Rudiger at Chelsea, though he still performed to a higher standard than the 26-year-old.
Certainly, there are similarities to their profile, and in terms of a like-for-like replacement on the left side of a central three, Kimpembe has the build to make it work, but the PSG man is not strong enough defensively to merit seriously being considered a long-term replacement for Rudiger at Chelsea.
