Scouting Report: Morgan Sanson Better Than Arsenal Transfer Target Casemiro?
Arsenal are in the running to sign Real Madrid central midfielder Casemiro, per John Cross at the Mirror, but would Montpellier's Morgan Sanson be a better summer transfer window target?
To cover that hypothetical, here is a scouting report on Sanson, a 19-year-old French youth international.
Explaining Casemiro's Situation
Asier Illarramendi is a part of Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti's midfield rotation, whereas Casemiro is a squad player, more known for his bromance with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Yet, Casemiro is a good player.
In Casemiro's only La Liga start to date (against Real Betis last season), he completed 87 percent of his 47 passes and won back the ball eight times.
This season, Illarramendi completes 88.5 percent of his 37.5 passes per game and wins back the ball 3.5 times per game in league play.
Why isn't Casemiro (no starts, nine league games) given the same playing time as Illarramendi (12 starts, 24 league games)?
Well, it must be frustrating to Real president Florentino Perez that makeshift central midfielders Angel Di Maria and Isco offer more than Illarramendi.
What is one way to worsen the situation?
Giving Casemiro, a €6/£4.9 million signing from Sao Paulo, extended playing time, which would provide him a platform to outperform Illarramendi.
If Illarramendi did flop, Perez would feel foolish for forking out €32/£26.3 million, just like the embarrassment he felt upon watching €24 million-valued Flavio Conceicao fail, per John Carlin's book White Angels:
"Perez went up to [then Real manager Vicente] del Bosque, who had also been keen on Flavio initially, and asked him what was going on.
Del Bosque replied, in the laconic way he has, "No lo veo"—I don't see it.
A couple of weeks passed and Perez repeated his question. Back came del Bosque's answer one more time: "No lo veo."
Perez went to Pirri [Real Madrid legend and sporting director at the time], eager for an explanation.
Pirri did not mince words.
"In the game of football signings," he told the incoming club president [Perez], "there is a mathematical rule. Three out of five fail."
Perez was appalled.
To pay €24 million for a player who, it rapidly turned out, was surplus to requirements struck him as the most idiotic investment he had ever been involved with in his life.
"
Illarramendi is Spanish and is the heir apparent to Xabi Alonso, so Casemiro is not going to be given leeway to succeed.
Since there is not a significant gap in quality between Casemiro and Illarramendi in terms of Real's success, it's unlikely that Casemiro's lack of opportunities will ever become a controversial matter.
Casemiro should strive to emulate the likes of Borja Valero, Esteban Cambiasso and Ze Roberto, players who transitioned into world-class midfielders after failing to make a lasting impression at Real.
In this context, it is understandable why there are rumours linking Casemiro to Arsenal, especially when the Gunners have signed players from Real: Mesut Ozil (2013), Julio Baptista (on loan, 2006) and Davor Suker (1999).
However, Sanson from Montpellier has a higher upside than Casemiro.
Rising Star
Sanson is already a solid player for Montpellier in his debut Ligue 1 season after moving from Le Mans, a club that provided a stepping stone for top players like Gervinho (Lille, 2009), Romaric (Sevilla, 2008), Stephane Sessegnon (Paris Saint-Germain, 2008) and Grafite (Wolfsburg, 2007).
Sanson, a 6'0" and 154-pound midfielder, was listed by French Football Weekly as one of the best young players in France.
French football writer Matt Spiro named Sanson in his most promising French-based talents XI.
While Sanson did start as a right attacking midfielder against Valenciennes, a central attacking midfielder against Ajaccio and a left winger against Marseille, he has world-class potential as a defensive midfielder or a central midfielder.
Sanson is a voracious ball-winner, who has had several big games.
- Seven tackles vs. Toulouse, per Squawka.com.
- Six tackles vs. Nice, per Squawka.com.
- Five tackles vs. Nantes, per Squawka.com.
- Five tackles vs. Monaco, per Squawka.com.
Sanson averages more tackles per game (3.0) than Grzegorz Krychowiak (Reims, 2.8), Joao Moutinho (Monaco, 2.7) and Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain, 2.3).
Tackling aside, Sanson is a splendid passer.
In Montpellier's 2-2 draw against Rennes, Sanson commanded his midfield zone, accumulating the most passes by any player in the game and finishing with a 92 pass completion percentage.
His short-to-intermediate passes were timed to perfection, and he was 5-of-5 in long passes.
Sanson controls the tempo, links up play and regularly opens up the field for the likes of M'Baye Niang, Remy Cabella and Anthony Mounier.
Against Lyon, Sanson surged forward, which drew opposing players toward him and then played a through-ball to Cabella.
Another example was when Sanson lofted the ball over Ajaccio's back line to play in Mounier.
Sanson has creativity, range and vision.
Bottom Line
What makes Sanson Arsenal quality is his ball-playing proficiency combined with his ball-winning prowess.
One play that encapsulates Sanson was when he intercepted Evian Thonon Gaillard centre-forward Kevin Berigaud's pass and split open Evian's defence with a through-ball to Cabella.
What made that pass incredible was Sanson not miscuing the pass because he was in the process of falling over.
If Arsenal are looking at Casemiro as a project, signing Sanson, who is three years younger, would be a better move.
If Sanson continues his rapid rate of development, he could be a world-class player in several years' time.
Statistics via WhoScored.com
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