In a modern footballing world which is becoming defined by obscene financial investments, the need for numerical validation has never been more pertinent. The exponential rise in access to an abundance of statistical data – ranging from something as fundamental as appearances to something as futile as expected goals – has not been manufactured to justify the decision-making of the super-rich, but it's inadvertently taken on that responsibility anyway. When a new signing is touted, especially attackers commanding hefty transfer fees, the gaze of journalists, pundits and supporters is naturally drawn towards the number of goals and assists they have provided down the years. It's...
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