Swansea City's summer took a potentially significant turn over the weekend.
After much speculation over possible departures, it appears Flynn Downes could well be on his way out of south Wales, with Crystal Palace understood to be leading the race for his signature. From a footballing perspective, it's undoubtedly a blow.
Downes, who only arrived at the club last summer, became a key component of Russell Martin's plans last season, and dazzled fans with a series of dominant performances in the middle of the park. His superb showing in the 4-0 demolition of bitter rivals Cardiff City back in April will, for many, be seen as a particularly memorable highlight.
But such stunning form was always going to attract admiring glances from elsewhere, and few can really begrudge him the chance to test himself in the Premier League, particularly given the Swans are poised to make a tidy profit on the £1.4m or so splashed out on the 23-year-old nearly 12 months ago.
Like so many others in the Championship, the financial realities continue to bite hard, although there is perhaps a silver lining to all of this, with fan favourite Joe Allen now tipped to complete a sentimental homecoming.
It seems like a sensible piece of business, with Martin making it clear at the end of the last campaign he believed Allen was more than capable of slotting into his plans. Indeed, Allen was a key part of the early years of the fabled 'Swansea Way', courtesy of his work-rate and high-quality passing ability.
Even so, one may wonder whether at the age of 32, Allen still has the physical capabilities to thrive within Martin's high-octane, high-intensity brand of football.
However, the stats from last season suggest there's still some fuel in the tank.
Allen was a regular for Stoke City last term, making 41 league appearances for the Potters. According to WhoScored, he subsequently made an average of 40.3 passes a game, with a success rate of 82.3. In total, he also averaged 0.5 key passes a game. He didn't find the net, but did manage to bag one assist.
Meanwhile, in 37 Championship games, Downes netted one goal and earned two assists, while his passing stats were slightly better. In all, he made an average of 66.6 passes a game, with a success rate of a 92.6 per cent.
There is a possible caveat here in that Swansea enjoyed more possession than any other team in the Championship last season, notching up an average of 63.9 per cent to Stoke's 52.2 per cent.
Looking after possession is clearly a central part of Martin's plans, which arguably makes it easier for players to clock up a higher passing success rate, and that makes Allen's figures seem more encouraging.
Indeed, given Downes managed the same number of average key passes (0.5) as Allen, there's perhaps an argument they have a similar level of influence in the final third, and in making things happen.
According to Wyscout, Allen offers slightly more in terms of progressive passes, but Downes brings more to the table in terms of runs, making an average of just over two progressive runs per 90 minutes compared to Allen, whose figure is around 0.75.
That driving influence in midfield will certainly be missed, but there is a key area where Allen seemingly has the upper hand in terms of stats. Defensively, Allen averaged two tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game last season, with Downes coming in at 1.3 tackles and 1.1 interceptions.
There's the obvious caveat of possession that once again has to be considered here. If a team has more possession, they don't tend to defend as much, but such stats do nevertheless point to a player who is willing to put in a shift and work hard in front of the back line.
Admittedly, when adjusted for possession, Downes comes out slightly higher in terms of interceptions. But all in all, there aren't any real alarm bells within the stats to suggest Allen can't step up under Martin, although clearly he's not as athletic or as energetic a player as Downes. Then again, given his advancing years that's perhaps to be expected.
But his work-rate, defensive skill and comparable ability to pick out a key pass arguably makes Allen, on paper at least, a pretty accomplished replacement.
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