Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Reece James: Who is England’s best right-back?

When Euro 2021 rolls around, England look as though they’re going to have an incredibly talented squad.

The likes of Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood will all be another year older and no doubt well on their way to becoming world-class talents.

But it’s at right-back that Gareth Southgate probably has the greatest depth.

Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier are the most experienced in that position at an international level, racking up 48 and 19 caps respectively.

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However, their England future is in doubt thanks to the trio coming though.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, 21, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 22, and Reece James, 20, have all had brilliant campaigns for their club.

Alexander-Arnold is in the conversation to win PFA Player of the Year as his Liverpool strolled to Premier League glory. Wan-Bissaka impressed during his debut season at Manchester United as they finished third, while James had a breakthrough campaign with Frank Lampard’s Chelsea.

So, which one of the three is best?

Well, an interesting in-depth thread comparing them has emerged on Reddit.

It analyses each player individually based on their stats per 90 minutes this season.

Alexander Arnold’s radar chart

Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s radar chart

Reece James’ radar chart

Defensively

Liverpool’s full-back has received some criticism for his defensive ability but Alexander-Arnold makes 1.6 successful tackles per game – which is more than James (1.4). However, Wan-Bissaka is far superior with his 3.7 tackles per game.

Wan-Bissaka also excels when it comes to interceptions, making 1.9 per game compared to James’ 0.9 and Alexander-Arnold’s 1.2.

And when it comes to being dribbled past, Wan-Bissaka comes out on top once again. He is beaten just 0.7 times per game, James gets dribbled past 0.8 times per game, while an opponent goes past Alexander-Arnold with the ball 1.1 times per match.

Attacking

Now, let’s look at how they compare offensively.

Alexander-Arnold produces 2.3 key passes per game which may explain how he’s registered 14 assists this season. James manages one key pass per game and has managed two assists this season. Meanwhile, Wan-Bissaka only averages 0.9 key passes per 90 minutes but does have four assists to his name.

In terms of crosses, Wan-Bissaka only produces 0.4 per game, while James manages 1.1 every match. However, Alexander-Arnold puts in 2.1 cross per game – many of which result in a goal.

Conclusion

So, what’s the conclusion?

Well, we’ll let the Reddit user reveal all.

“All three full-backs are excellent in their own way. Trent Alexander Arnold is an attacking full-back that excels when playing higher up the pitch. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a defensive beast, putting up great defensive numbers which have contributed to United qualifying to the Champions League this season. Finally, Reece James seems to be balanced between both players. He excels in both attacking and defending and brings the best of both full-backs to the conversation. One thing is for sure, Gareth Southgate will have a difficult time choosing his right-back for this season.”