This series takes a look at the latest signings and statistically analyzes those individuals’ contributions and how they compare to the current squad.

Matteo Darmian was supposed to be the third quick-fire signing to be completed after Inter’s season officially ended. His deal was reportedly negotiated last year, so his arrival is just the completion of that agreement.

The 30-year-old is said to be versatile in the back line, capable of filling in all three slots of Conte’s treasured 3-5-2 system, and regularly played as right-fullback at Parma Calico.

As such, this analysis will see him compared to his wing-back rivals, Ashley Young and Achraf Hakimi, and two center-backs: Stefan de Vrij, for being one of Inter Milan’s best defenders, and Danilo D’Ambrosio for being the closest to Darmian in a rotational capacity and characteristics on the pitch.

Kolarov won’t be compared here because he is strictly placed in the left roles and his own analysis was recently published.

These stats are acquired through WyScout and FBref.com, and will be given in order of Darmian, Young, Hakimi, de Vrij, and D’Ambrosio respectively.

Defensive Stats:

Darmian actually performs the highest number of successful defensive actions per game (9, 7, 7.5, 8.6, 7.9), while coming in second, behind D’Ambrosio, for total duels per game (8.1, 5.1, 6.4, 5, 8.5), and only beating Young in winning the defensive duels (53.3%, 51.4%, 62.3%, 62.8%, 53.3%), tied with D’Ambrosio.

Tackle success rates put Darmian last (54.2%, 57.6%, 64.6%, 63.2%, 62.7%), however, only de Vrij gets dribbled past less (57.1%, 73.5%, 64.1%, 51.2%, 66.1%).

Reading these numbers, it seems Darmian is an intelligent defender, a good interceptor of the ball and doesn’t let himself get beat, but his tackling needs improving to be definitively better than D’Ambrosio.

Attacking Stats:

In moving the ball forward, Darmin is last again, across these stats: forward pass accuracy (72.8%, 74%, 75.9%, 76.9%, 78.2%); progressive pass accuracy, passes over 10-meters upfield (73.6%, 82.3%, 74.3%, 73.7%, 77.1%); and final-third pass accuracy (65.4%, 65.8%, 80.7%, 67.2%, 69.5%).

In the number of successful attacking actions per game (1.4, 2.9, 4.9, 0.3, 1.9), he only beats de Vrij, who is purely a central defender; it would be appalling if that were not the case.

Darmian does a little better in dribble success (61.2%, 59.8%, 57.9%, 52.9%, 62.9%), only losing to D’Ambrosio here.

The second metric that Darmian actually tops the group in is offensive duel success (52.8%, 51.7%, 49.5%, 48.6%, 51.6%).

Statistically speaking, Matteo Darmian is smart on the ball. He can read plays, intercept passes, and he can dribble with greater success than the rest of this pack, but what does he actually bring to the squad over what is already there? He isn’t a shining star, like Hakimi, and he isn’t a defensive wall, like de Vrij.

It appears we’ve agreed to take on a year-younger, more versatile version of D’Ambrosio that can read the game a bit better.  Unless he is expected to replace D’Ambrosio, who hasn’t been bad for us, then it seems like a wasted seat on the bench for another potential star.

Previous article in this series: