SH Football Insight

Hi, I'm Stilyan - super into football, learning data science through it. Sharing the stats, charts and breakdowns as I go.

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

Can Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos be the answer to what Casemiro has given #MUFC these last two seasons?

I pulled two seasons of data on all three - 848 top-5-league midfielders as the reference group - to actually check.

A THREAD🧵

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

#Salah 2024-25 → 2025-26, percentiles among top-5 attackers (each ranked in his own season's pool):

Key passes 93rd → 92nd
Assists 97th → 91st
Goals 97th → 57th
Dribbles 52nd → 6th
Duels 34th → 2nd

The playmaking is untouched. The shooting isn't.

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

#LFC paid €150m for Alexander #Isak. Transfermarkt now has him at €85m - marked down from €140m in three steps since he signed.

The 12 attackers his 2025-26 numbers most resemble have a median value of €16.5m.

Can he bring back his Newcastle form?

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

Comparison between Alejandro Balde and Lewis Hall, and honestly, looking at the stats, Balde might really be a good alternative to Hall for #MUFC , if he can manage to stay fit, of course.

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

Two seasons ago #Savinho statistical comparables were Saka, Yamal and Doku.

Last season, his numbers resembled those of players with a median value of €8m, and #Tottenham have agreed to pay up to €85m for Savinho.

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

@StretfordPaddck @FabrizioRomano I've done a full breakdown on my page comparing Carlos Baleba, Andres Santos and Casemiro.

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

@utdreport @FabrizioRomano I've done a full breakdown on my page comparing Carlos Baleba, Andres Santos and Casemiro.

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

@FabrizioRomano The rebuild is looking good!

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

#AFC won the #PL last season.
Their squad is worth €50m LESS than when it started.
Saka €150m → €110m
Calafiori €35m → €55m
The big risers are defenders, which shows how beneficial their defense was.

Reply with the team you want next 👇

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

@UTD_Louie What about Antonee Robinson, as a cheaper alternative?

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

@markgoldbridge I still think 75 for Baleba is crazy a lot, and the stats prove it.

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

@Gradient_Sports Can you do the same for attacking midfielders, or specifically number 10s, cherki is probably gonna be Man City's number 10

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

@UnitedStandMUFC Considering Lewis Hall's deal is now almost impossible and Balde's injury record, i would rather go for David Raum or Antonee Robinson.

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

Comparing Carlos Baleba to #MUFC cheaper alternative target, Manu Koné. Is the PL experience worth the bigger price tag, in your opinion?

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

@Gradient_Sports I've compared Santos and Baleba to the other DM midfielders. And i wouldn't count Santos's ability to win the ball either. Based on my data, Santos wins more duels in the entire cohort (99th percentile) while entering fewer duels than Baleba.

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

@ecom_dan Manchester United are heavily linked with Baleba. In my opinion, the transfer is bound to happen. But the question is: Are there better options cheaper than him? I'll be comparing some of the other targets with Baleba in my next posts.

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

Can Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos be the answer to what Casemiro has given #MUFC these last two seasons?

I pulled two seasons of data on all three - 848 top-5-league midfielders as the reference group - to actually check.

A THREAD🧵

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

#7

So: Santos is the closer stylistic echo, Baleba the better reader of the game, and Casemiro, at 33, still the most productive of the three in this dataset last season.

Two promising talents; the question is "Are they replacements or a proper rebuild"

[SH Football Insight @SHFootyInsight]

#6

Baleba's pre-season valuation moved from €22m to €40m over a span where his output fell almost everywhere but interceptions and the rumored price for Baleba is around €65m

Call it the Man Utd tax, but nothing in my data can back the rumored price of Carlos Baleba.