Tyler Adams: What could he bring to the Premier League?

Tyler Adams

Tyler Adams has attracted interest from Everton and Leeds after RB Leipzig said they are willing to let him leave on loan or permanently this summer, but what would he bring to the Premier League?

This article breaks down his passing and defensive stats from the last three seasons so you can see how the 23-year-old’s career has progressed.  

With Champions League experience and having played for one of the best teams in Germany for the past four years, you can see why the defensive midfielder is in demand.  

 

2019-2020   

Adams moved to RB Leipzig from New York Red Bulls at the age of 19 after a successful start to his career in the MLS.  

His first season in Germany was one where in most of his appearances he came off the bench, often to shore-up victories or draws when Leipzig were trying to hang on to a result, given his defensive midfield position.  

But he still showed plenty of potential and was trusted by their manager at the time: Ralf Rangnick. He played 14 matches, a good total given his young age and the fact he only joined halfway through the season.  

He received worldwide attention too, after scoring an 88th-minute winner for Leipzig against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final. What is most impressive about his stats though are his defensive abilities. He averaged 1.6 successful tackles per game across the season, helping to keep four clean sheets in the process.  

Even in his first season in the German topflight, he looked like a solid, naturally defensive player, but could score goals in big games too. It’s only a surprise that Ralf Rangnick didn’t try and bring Adams to Manchester United.  

Played: 14 

Clean Sheets: 4 

Interceptions per game: 1 

Tackles per game: 1.6 

Key passes per game: 0.5 

Passes per game: 45.5 

Pass success percentage: 83.5% 

Average match rating: 6.52 

 

2020-21 

The 2020-21 campaign was Adams’ first real breakthrough season in Germany. He was backed by Leipzig’s new manager Julian Nagelsmann and started 75% of the matches he was fit for – which is an achievement for a player who was 20 at the time.  

He also improved many aspects of his game, too. He made more interceptions on average, increasing to 1.1 per match. He also improved his pass accuracy – rising from 83.5% to 86.1%. What was most impressive though was the fact that Leipzig kept clean sheets in 15 of the games he featured in.  

So, in 45% of the games he played, his team did not concede a goal… if he could bring those kinds of numbers to Everton or Leeds, Adams’ could be transformative for them.  

Also, a per-game average rating of 6.70 shows that even as a youngster, he performed consistently well.   

Played: 33 

Clean Sheets: 15 

Interceptions per game: 1.1 

Tackles per game: 1.3 

Key passes per game: 0.5 

Passes per game: 47.3 

Pass success percentage: 86.1% 

Average match rating: 6.70 

 

2021-22 

However, in his last season for Leipzig, his progress seems to have slowed slightly.  

He made considerably fewer passes per match, dropping from 47.3 to 37.4, suggesting his involvement on the ball was not as prominent.  

But his manager for half of the season was Leeds United’s Jesse Marsch, so if he’s still interested in signing him… he must’ve been doing something right.  

Perhaps it was simply that his role changed under Marsch? His defensive reading of the game seems to have improved considerably, making 1.5 interceptions per match, a stat which has consistently improved and something Everton and Leeds would both love to have at their disposal. He also helped Leipzig to keep 11 clean sheets – another example of his defensive consistency.  

Also, despite making fewer passes, he still very rarely gave the ball away, with an 87.1% pass success rating.   

The fact that Leipzig are now looking at loaning the 23-year-old out in 2022-23 suggests that he is not yet at the level required to be starting for them, though.  

Perhaps because both Marsch and Adams are both American and have worked together will give Leeds United the edge in signing him? But one thing is for sure, the promising midfielder wants to play in the Premier League this season.   

Played: 33 

Clean Sheets: 11 

Interceptions per game: 1.5 

Tackles per game: 1 

Key passes per game: 0.3 

Passes per game: 37.4 

Pass success percentage: 87.1% 

Average match rating: 6.41