By Allan Jiang
If major European clubs are seeking a cheaper alternative toWolfsburgà left-back Ricardo Rodriguez,à then targetà Augsburg's Abdulà Rahmanà Baba.Before you learn aboutà Baba,à the transfer stock of left-backs has been inflated after Manchester United spentà ââ¬38.4/ã30 millionà onà Luke Shaw, primarily on upside not productivity.
United legendà Paul Scholes saidà he would spend that amount of money on a "centre-forward who's going to score 30 goals a season," not a left-back.
League Only | Abdulà RahmanBabaà 14-15 | Gareth Baleà 14-15 | Luke Shaw 13-14 | Ricardo Rodriguez 14-15 |
Goals/Games | 0/6 | 4/6 | 0/35 | 3/6 |
Shots Per Goal | N/A | 3.8 | N/A | 3.3 |
Assists | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Key Passes Per Game | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.2 |
Dribbles Per Game | 1.7 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 2.0 |
Passes Per Game | 34.3 | 30.2 | 40 | 62.5 |
Pass Completion % | 60.7 | 80.1 | 79.2 | 80.5 |
Cross Completion % | 14.8 | 5 | 20.4 | 30.3 |
Valued byà Real Madridà atà ââ¬91/ã78 million,à Bale takes 0.5 more shots to score per goal thanà Rodriguez, who has added defensiveà responsibilitiesà as a left-back.
This meansà Rodriguez is a more efficient shooter thanà Bale and a more productive creator averaging 1.2 more key passes per game (pass leading to scoring chance).
Completing 32.3 more passes per game thanà Bale,à Rodriguez also functions as a passing outlet.
So far this season from an attacking perspective,Ã Rodriguez is matching Bale.
From a defensive point of view,Ã Rodriguez made 103 tackles last season and has already won back the ball 30 times in six league games this season (13 tackles, 17 interceptions).
Rodriguez is on courseà for greatness at left-back, a position that is often theà Achilles heel of teams.
Backed byà ââ¬93.77/ã73.19à billion-valuedà automobile companyà Volkswagen,à Wolfsburgà have financial clout, perà RaphaelHonigsteinà atà The Guardian: "Traditionalists have sneered atà VfL[Wolfsburg]à ever since their ascent to theà Bundesligaà in 1997 and were quick to point out that Volkswagen have generously subsidised the team to create an unfair advantage."
Therefore,à Wolfsburgà are not under financial pressure to sell Rodriguezà to the first club that lodges a substantial bid.
Regardingà Rodriguez's future,à whatà Wolfsburgà should do is hold out for aà Galacticos-like transfer fee (this is presuming there is no buyout clause valued atà ââ¬30/ã23.4 million or less).
Rodriguez's transfer value puts him out of range for many European clubs, so this is whereà Babaà comes in as a viable cost-effective alternative.
Left-Back | Nation | Age | Height | Weight |
Abdul Rahman Baba | Ghana | 20 | 5'11" | 154 lbs |
Ricardo Rodriguez | Switzerland | 22 | 5'11" | 170 lbs |
Babaà leads theà Bundesligaà inà tackles per gameà (5.7), 3.5 more tackles per game thanà Rodriguez.
Baba'sà performances forà Augsburg in theà Bundesligaà reaffirms why he was highlighted as a key player for Ghana during the 2013à FIFAà U20 World Cup, perà FIFA's official website: "competitive left-sided defender with excellent technique and forceful attacking runs."
Borussiaà Dortmundà can attest toà Baba's "forceful attacking runs."
Inà Augsburg'sà 3-2 defeatà toà Dortmund,à Babaà created more scoring chances (three) thanà Henrikhà Mkhitaryanà (one), who was playing on the opposite wing forà BVB.
Babaà led the game in assists (two).
Both his crossesà occurredà in the last 10 minutes of the game (82nd andà 89th), which shows his high fitness levels.
The ability to take the ball out of defence and into midfield is a traità Babaà shares withà Rodriguez.
Both complete 80 percent of their dribbles (Baba;à 83à andà Rodriguez;86).
Ã
Augsburg management took a calculated gamble onà Babaà who displayed promise after taking over from Heinrichà Schmidtgalasà Greutherà Furth's starting left-back.
"We are convinced that his [Baba's]à sporting qualities fit in with our team,"à Augsburg general manager Stefanà Reuterà said, per the club's official website (h/tà Nathanà Quaoà atà Citià FM). "He is a young player who has the potential to develop."
Whileà Babaà played for the worst team in theà Bundesligaà (Furthà finished withà 21 pointsà from 34 games), he was a more productive ball-winner thanà Rodriguez was in his first season atà Wolfsburg.
Babaà won back possession 6.3 times compared toà Rodriguez's 4.4.
Also,à Babaà was more proficient since he completed 3.5 tackles per foul, 0.9 higher thanà Rodriguez.
League Only | Abdulà Rahmanà Babaà 12-13 | Ricardo Rodriguez 11-12 |
Goals/Games | 0/20 | 0/16 |
Shots Per Goal | N/A | N/A |
Assists | 0 | 0 |
Key Passes Per Game | 0.5 | 0.8 |
Dribbles Per Game | 1.7 | 0.8 |
Passes Per Game | 27.7 | 36.6 |
Pass Completion % | 69.3 | 70.3 |
Cross Completion % | 22 | 23 |
Tackles Per Game | 3.8 | 2.8 |
Tackles Per Foul | 3.5 | 2.6 |
Interceptions Per Game | 2.5 | 1.6 |
Fouls Per Game | 1.1 | 1.1 |
Two years and eight months ago,à then-Wolfsburg managerà FelixMagathà predicted thatà Rodriguez would become a "pillar" of the team.
It was a bold statement fromà Magathà sinceà Rodriguez wasà NOTà a can't-miss prospect.
Theà FIFAà technical study group opted to select BenjaminSiegrist,à Granità Xhaka,à Harisà Seferovic,à Nassimà Benà Khalifaà andà PajtimKasamià overà Rodriguez as more outstanding players for Switzerland during the 2009à FIFAà U17 World Cup, perà FIFA's official website.
In early November we were extremely surprised to read in a number of newspapers and spurious transfer frothing websites that Rodriguez had been monitored by Milan and both the Manchester clubs, while also being identified as a long term replacement for Ashley Cole atChelsea.
All this just days after he was dropped atà Wolfsburg.
Were we looking at the same player?
Full disclosure: In April 2012, I rankedà Zakariaà Labyad, Julianà Draxler,Ikerà Muniain,à Isco, Thibautà Courtois, Alexà Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ola John, Johnà Guidetti, Raphaelà Varane, Marc-Andreà terà Stegenà and MarioGotzeà as better teenage prospects thanà Rodriguez, perà Bleacher Report.
Rodriguez's red flags at the time were off-putting andà same can be said aboutà Baba: Inaccurate passer (60.7à pass completion percentage) and defensive positioning can be shoddy.
To the all major European clubs that wereà late to the Rodriguezà party,à do not make the same mistake withà Baba.
Heà has the potential to enjoy aà meteoricà Rodriguez-like rise.
Ã