Stats back Wolves deal for masterful Joao Moutinho

He may be in the twilight of his impressive career and turns 36 in September, but Moutinho has enjoyed an impressive campaign and the club are now working on a deal to keep him.

Now, the Express & Star dives into last season’s statistics for the veteran midfielder.

Passing

Passing is one of the key traits every midfielder is judged on and Moutinho’s statistics, from website SofaScore, are favourable.

Looking at the 35 Premier League games he played, of which he started 34, Moutinho has an impressive average pass accuracy of 87 per cent.

That is then broken down into 89 per cent accuracy in his own half and 79 per cent in the opposition half.

Moutinho’s long ball attempts are slightly less accurate, at 64 per cent, while crosses are only 26 per cent – although he does only attempt around one per game on average. Passing is Moutinho’s key skill. He breaks the game up well and gets Wolves moving in both halves of the field.

Attacking

This column is where Moutinho leaves a lot to be desired. He has never been a goalscoring midfielder, but he only notched two last season.

What is marginally more damning is his one assist. Granted, the forwards have struggled for goals all season, but in Moutinho’s role he must have more of an influence when carrying the ball forward.

He also only created three big chances all season and averaged one key pass a game. There are improvements to be made, but perhaps that will come when the right personnel surround the midfielder.

Defending

All action midfielder Moutinho does not let his 5ft 7ins frame hold him back. His most impressive statistic in this area is aerial duels. On average over the season he won 39 per cent of them. It may not be a huge number, but for his size it is superb.

He won 44 per cent of his ground duels, which could be slightly improved on, however he rarely made any mistakes that put Wolves in danger. His 76 per cent rate of successful dribbles is impressive, too. In what was an excellent season, Moutinho marshalled the midfield well and has plenty to offer if Wolves can keep him.