What does Oliver Skipp bring to Leicester City?

During Leicester City’s preparation for the ongoing Premier League season, Steve Cooper and the scouting department would have felt well-stocked with defensive midfielders. Harry Winks, Wilfred Ndidi, Hamza Choudhary, and Boubakary Soumare are all defensive midfielders with Premier League experience. 

However, Oliver Skipp, a 23-year-old holding midfielder, became Leicester’s most expensive purchase of the summer window. The Foxes forked out a reported £20 million for the Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate. It was an unexpected signing, with the Foxes in desperate need of attackers then. However, Leicester signing Skipp is an intelligent move. 

The Premier League’s pressing intensity is one of the highest in world football. The pace of the game is fast, and players can’t stay on the ball for too long without getting dispossessed. We saw what happened with Ndidi against Tottenham in Leicester’s opening game of the season. The Nigeria international isn’t very good in possession and, as a result, lost the ball several times, allowing Spurs to counter quickly. 

Leicester City have another press-resistant player in Oliver Skipp

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Enzo Maresca turned Leicester into a team that builds from the back. That is why he signed Winks and sweeper keeper Mads Hermansen. Both are composed in possession and rarely give the ball away. However, teams are aware of this now, and Winks is frequently man-marked, disrupting Leicester’s build-up play. Having another press-resistant player in Skipp at the base of the midfield allows the Foxes to build from the back effectively and reduce turnovers.

Skipp’s passing accuracy is over 90%, placing him in the 95th percentile compared to other midfielders. He also performs his share of defensive duties, averaging around 2.3 tackles per game, higher than Ndidi’s 1.51 tackles. His strength and work rate will also ensure that Leicester’s pressing intensity does not drop. 

Leicester have quite a few flamboyant players in the team, like Winks, Abdul Fatawu, and Stephy Mavididi. These players are heavily involved up the pitch and are vital for scoring goals. However, the team also needs less glamorous players to keep play ticking effectively.

Water carrier Skipp

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Skipp is that type of a player—the so-called ‘water carrier’ popularised by France legend Didier Deschamps. The 23-year-old does not need to be exotic; his role in the team is clear. Win the ball back and ensure possession stays with Leicester, especially when building from the back. It may sound simple, but doing it well consistently requires quite a talented player. The Foxes will be hoping they have that calibre of a player in Skipp, someone who has been praised heavily by former Spurs managers Jose Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino.

With Cooper modelling Leicester as a possession-oriented side in the Premier League, Skipp will be determined to prove his worth as the Foxes fight to achieve survival this season.

Note: All stats mentioned are averages from the past year, not career averages.