Wolves sign defender Emmanuel Agbadou for £16.6m: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Wolverhampton Wanderers have pulled off a successful signing in the form of Emmanuel Agbadou.
The 27-year-old central defender from Reims has signed a £16.6 million deal, which includes a four-and-a-half year contract at Molineux, with an optional 12-month extension.
The signing is the first under Vitor Pereira's leadership at Wolves.
Wolves, who are looking to fight and secure safety in the Premier League, have bolstered their defensive unit.
High praise
Wolves's sporting director praises Agbadou's determination
Wolves's sporting director Matt Hobbs, has also lauded Agbadou's determination and winning mentality.
"Emmanuel's a winner and he's driven," Hobbs said.
The sporting director further highlighted the player's hunger for success despite his journey so far, predicting that Agbadou will quickly become a fan favorite due to his all-in approach on the pitch.
Team changes
Agbadou's signing follows Kilman's departure and Mosquera's injury
The need for a new defender was felt after Wolves sold their captain Max Kilman to West Ham last summer for £40 million.
The situation was further complicated when Yerson Mosquera sustained a season-ending knee injury in September.
Agbadou's addition will help the team's defense during this challenging period.
Stats
Agbadou's career numbers
Agbadou started his career with Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 club Monastir. He made 19 appearances and scored once.
He played for Eupen in the Belgian Pro League next, playing 64 matches and scoring 6 goals.
In the summer of 2022, he joined Reims. Overall, he played 80 matches for the club in his two and a half seasons, scoring 4 goals.
He featured in 14 of Reims' 15 Ligue 1 matches this season. Overall, he made 65 Ligue 1 appearances.
Ligue 1 2023/24
Breaking down the player's 2023/24 Ligue 1 season in stats
Agbadou played 32 Ligue 1 matches last season. He scored one goal and clocked an assist.
As per Squawka Comparison Matrix (data by Opta), Agbadou clocked 22 shots (excluding blocks). 7 of his shots were on target. He smashed the woodwork once.
Agbadou created 12 chances and his passing accuracy was 87.18%.
Agbadou completed 15 take-ons and had 32 touches in the opposition box.
He made 111 clearances alongside 55 interceptions and 217 ball recoveries.
Ligue 1 2024/25
His Ligue 1 2024/25 campaign in numbers
Agbadou played 14 Ligue 1 matches this season.
Agbadou clocked 10 shots (excluding blocks). 3 of his shots were on target.
Agbadou created 8 chances and his passing accuracy was 88.07%.
Agbadou completed 9 take-ons and had 4 touches in the opposition box.
He made 63 clearances alongside 19 interceptions and 85 ball recoveries. He also made 25 tackles.