Is Philipp Lahm the most complete footballer in the world today?

Philipp Lahm seems to have been one of the best defenders in world football for an infinite amount of years; the German is one of those players who has been plying his trade for what appears to be decades, and yet the Bayern Munich stalwart is still just 29 years of age.

Known for his terrific ability in his full-back role, Lahm has this season been switched to play in the holding midfielder’s slot, a position which he has fitted into with a minimum of fuss.

Pep Guardiola’s decision to fill this position with Lahm has raised the question as to whether he is in fact one of the most complete players in the world – can Lahm play two roles which have very different demands?

Indeed, his Performance Score from this season suggests that this is the case. Despite playing in an unfamiliar role, Lahm’s Performance Score of 301 is the fourth highest in the Bayern squad, suggesting that his skill-set is one of the most well-rounded in today’s game and shows that his transition from full- back to defensive midfielder is one which is so far proving to be a success.

Lahm’s Performance Score this season

The creative abilities which Lahm has demonstrated throughout his career from right-back translate very well to his new position. This year he has made 14 chances for his team-mates, two of which have resulted in goals, and this innate ability to construct a goal-scoring opportunity means that Lahm is well suited to playing anywhere on the pitch. The German has actually created more chances than at this point last season.

The amount of chances created by Lahm is perhaps down in part to the Bayern man’s ridiculous stamina. As seen by his heat map below, Lahm gets on the ball virtually everywhere during a game in his new position. This energy that Lahm uses so effectively helps Lahm play in the centre of midfield or at full-back, making him one of the most complete footballers in the world right now.

Lahm’s action heat map vs Wolfsburg

Finally, Lahm’s dribbling ability has added an extra dimension to Bayern’s attacks – from his deep midfield role, he is able to burst forward through the oppositon’s midfield with the ball at his feet. This is evidenced through the 75% of Lahm’s take-ons which have been successful. Indeed, this ability with the ball at his feet means that Lahm would be comfortable at both full-back and central midfield, as well as on the wing – the German’s crossing ability adds a further dimension to his game to make him suitable to feature in a wide midfield slot.

Lahm’s duels so far this season

The statistics give a clear picture – Phillip Lahm possesses all the qualities to make him one of the most complete footballers in the world. The German has comfortably slotted into Bayern Munich’s midfield, confirmed by his 92% pass completion rate in addition to the evidence above, and this, combined by his undoubted ability at full-back, suggests that Lahm is continuing to grow as a footballer. This new role under Pep could represent his ascension from world-class full-back to world-class full stop.