During his first preseason as Manchester United’s manager, Ruben Amorim has been extremely busy. He has brought in several players to strengthen his team and improve matters at Old Trafford following the team’s worst season in Premier League history. Stars like Benjamin Sesko have been connected to the Red Devils, and players like Bryan Mbuemo, Matheus Cunha, and Diego Leon have previously passed through the doors.
During the 2024–25 season, he played 40 games across all competitions and attracted interest from elite teams, Manchester United. He is seen by them as the best person to take Casemiro’s spot in the midst of their team in the long run. These days, having a top defensive midfield player may make all the difference for a club. Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, among others, have helped elevate Arsenal and Chelsea to the top of the Premier League standings. But how does Baleba stack up against those men? Let’s examine how his numbers from the previous season compare to those of the pair.
Statistics for Defence
The winner is obvious.
It only makes sense to start with examining the defensive statistics of the three players, even though defensive midfielders are required to contribute in a number of different areas on the game. With Brighton’s Baleba winning in four of the eight categories examined, there is an obvious winner in this category.
On a per-90-minute basis, the 21-year-old outperformed both Caicedo and Rice. He won 6.8 aerial duels overall, with an average of 1.4 duels every 90 minutes. By contrast, the Arsenal star averaged 1.3 successful aerial duels every 90 minutes and 3.9 overall, while the Chelsea player averaged one successful aerial duel and 6.4 overall.
In addition, he averaged more interceptions (1.6) and ball recoveries (6.7) per-90 than the other players, whereas Rice averaged 0.8 and 5 and Caicedo averaged 1.4 and 6.2.
However, he did not win in every defensive category. Rice outperformed both of the others in a couple of games, averaging more blocked shots (0.5) and clearances (1.6) per ninety minutes. In addition, he committed fewer fouls per game than his opponents. Caicedo’s average number of tackles per ninety minutes (3.1), which was higher than Baleba’s (2.7) and Rice’s (1.7), was the only statistic he won.
Defense-wise, Baleba vs. Caicedo vs. Rice
Per-90-minute statistic
Baleba, Carlos
Caicedo Moises
Rice, Declan
Made tackles
2.7
3.1
1.7
Fouls were committed.
1.4
1.9
0.7
The victory of aerial duels
1.4
One
1.3
Total duels prevailed.
6.8
6.4
3.9
Clearances
1.5
1.5
1.6
Interceptions
1.6
1.4
0.8
Shots that were blocked
0.4
0.3
0.5
Ball recoveries
6.7
6.2
5.
Statistics of Possession
Caicedo dominates this category.
It’s crucial to consider how well the three of them played in possession last season because midfielders are also expected to dominate possession for their teams. In this category, Caicedo dominates, as the Chelsea player wins all ten categories. He completed more passes than the others and averaged more passes attempted per game (57.8) than Rice (46.9) and Baleba (43.9).
In addition to making more passes, he was more successful with them, as seen by his higher passing accuracy percentage. His crosses and long balls were more accurate. He made more forward passes and through balls on average. He excelled at more than just passing the ball, though. In addition, he averaged fewer possession losses and more touches on the ball than the other two players. In addition, he received less tackles than Rice or Baleba. Caicedo topped the possession statistics overall.
Possession of Rice versus Caicedo versus Baleba
Per-90-minute statistic
Baleba, Carlos
Caicedo Moises
Rice, Declan
Attempts at passes
43.9
56.8
46.9
Completed passes
38.6
52.1
42.2
Accuracy passing
87.92%
90.15%
89.84%
Accuracy of long passes
58.04%
63.16%
61.86%
Accurate crossing
33.3%
40%
28.05 percent
Through-balls
0.3
0.4
0.2
Passes forward
10.
14.3
11.6
Feelings
62
73
64.1
Loss of possession
9.2
8.4
11.4
Times dealt with
2.1
1.3
1.5
Statistics of Offensive Behaviour
Here, rice prevailed.
Offensive statistics are the final area worth considering, and this is where Rice had the opportunity to excel. The Arsenal player is among the world’s top midfielders, and although his defensive prowess has always been undeniable, he also has a strong offensive game. Compared to the other two, the Englishman averaged more goals, assists, opportunities created, and shots per ninety minutes.
Additionally, Rice’s shots were more successful than the others’, with a greater conversion rate. In conclusion, all three players performed exceptionally well in their own right last season. Although Baleba may not have contributed as much offensively or in possession as Caicedo or Rice, his defensive stats were better. It’s unclear if he can duplicate that success at United.
Attacking Baleba against. Caicedo vs. Rice
Per-90-minute statistic
Baleba, Carlos
Caicedo Moises
Rice, Declan
Objectives
0.2
0.1
0.2
Helps
0.1
0.1
0.3
Shots
0.9
0.3
1.2
Rate of conversion
11.54%
9.09%
12.12%
Opportunities generated
0.7
0.9
1.9
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