Can Felix Nmecha help Borussia Dortmund? A statistical analysis of BVB’s key target

Borussia Dortmund are pressing ahead with their plans to sign Felix Nmecha as their replacement for Jude Bellingham, multiple reports in Germany claim. Here we take a look at the controversial midfielder’s attributes, and whether he would be a good fit to BVB’s playing style.  

For the purpose of this analysis, we have compared the statistics of Felix Nmecha to those of Jude Bellingham, Gio Reyna, Julian Brandt, Emre Can, and fellow Borussia Dortmund target Edson Álvarez on FBref.

For additional context to the statistics used in this article, Borussia Dortmund had 58.5% possession compared to 50.5% for Wolfsburg, according to Transfermarkt. By playing in a side that has more of the ball, Nmecha’s offensive statistics would likely tick up slightly while his defensive statistics would likely go down.

Having already lost Jude Bellingham this summer, Borussia Dortmund will need a midfielder with a wide range of skills. At the start of the season with a misfiring attack, Bellingham frequently filled that gap in the side, making late runs into the box and also scoring from edge of the area. As Adeyemi and Malen finally hit stride, Bellingham began to take on a slightly deeper role and his passing and defensive positioning improved. To replace this, Edin Terzic must find a midfielder capable of playing in whatever role the situation calls for.

Nmecha’s strongpoint is his excellent work in the final third. Even looking past a large over-performance of his creative numbers (by .11 expected goals and assists via FBref) which has made him attractive to BVB. His expected assisted goals per 90 minutes are even marginally above Bellingham’s (the Englishman has about double the xG and xA). The Germany international stands over 6 feet tall and excels in the air. This would help a BVB side that often struggles on set-pieces.