Is Tottenham chasing the wrong Fulham defender, in Andersen?

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LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 07: Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur controls the ball during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 7, 2021, in London, United Kingdom. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images) /

Tosin Adaradioyo is better on the ball

Tottenham clearly wants to build out of the back and to do that you need good passing center-halves. Tosin Adaradioyo is a better passer than is Joachim Andersen. While Andersen has attempted and completed slightly more passes on the season than has Adaradioyo, Tosin is more accurate.

Tosin Adaradioyo has completed more than 1600 passes this season at a rate of 86.8%, which is higher than Andersen (83.4%) and Toby Alderweireld (83%), according to fbref.com. Tosin’s passing is especially more effective on longer passes.

Tosin has the kind of passing Tottenham needs

On medium passes – 15-30 yards – Adaradioyo completed 94.1%, which is better than both Alderweireld (92.2) and Andersen (91.5). The better performance was even more apparent on long balls over 30 yards. Toby Alderweireld has completed 65.6% of 369 attempts, Andersen completed 69% of 568 attempts, and Tosin has completed 73% of 426 attempts.

While Adaradioyo is not attempting as many downfield balls as Andersen he is offering more than Toby and at a much higher rate of success than either of the other players.

Given the kind of team, Tottenham wants to build having defenders who are strong passers is a must, and Tosin fits that bill. Additionally, Adaradioyo might be a better defender than Andersen too.