What are Portsmouth getting? The lowdown on new Swansea City signing Florian Bianchini
Florian Bianchini arrived at Fratton Park last night on a season-long loan deal from Swansea, as Pompey’s fifth summer signing. But what are Pompey getting in the attacking Frenchman? We’ve done our homework, studied the video and crunched the numbers on Bianchini - here’s the lowdown.
What type of player have Pompey signed?
The video analysis showcases a player who’s a more confident in front of goal than his numbers suggest. Bianchini is an assured finisher with either foot, though he tends to prefer his right. His three goals last season came via a poacher’s header against Sheffield United, a sharp near-post volley against Leeds and unerring low-drive showcasing smart number nine movement against Oxford United. Delving back further in his career highlights a player who can lead the line, arrive late in the box or be direct in his running and work half a yard to get a finish off. Bianchini is a mazy and often languid dribbler of the ball who can go inside or out with a capable delivery, usually opting to hang crosses into dangerous areas over delivering with pace.
Swansea focus
When assessing Bianchini’s numbers from last season, he totalled three goals from an xG of 3.21 with no assists in that time, playing a total of 1,436 minutes. That playing time comprised 36 Championship appearances, with eight games coming as starts. Additionally, Bianchini played in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and one early-season outing for Bastia before moving to Wales.
What are their fans saying?
A loan winger may not be to all Pompey fans tastes, though the same could be said for the reaction afforded Rob Atkinson’s temporary arrival in January and many other successes down the years. Perhaps more revealing is the fan reaction at the other end. The consensus among Swansea fans is the Blues are getting a player with talent who has undoubted potential. The Jack Army seem to feel the lack of starts meant Bianchini didn’t get the chances he may have deserved, while he wasn’t a number nine and was better suited on the wing.
Versatile operator
John Mousinho referenced Bianchini’s attacking versatility when speaking of his new signing. That’s borne out by the stats, with the player starting out on the right for the Swans before playing as a striker for the bulk of the campaign. Bianchini then moved back to the flanks at the end of the season. His appearances were made up of 25 outings as a centre forward, eight on the right and three on the left, with Wyscout not identifying a position for two cameo sub appearances.
Numbers games
Bianchini slightly underperformed against his xG, but produced 779 actions last season with a 43.6 per cent success rate. Breaking it down per 90 minutes makes it a mean 48.82 (43.6 per cent success). For comparison, Josh Murphy averaged 53.63 per 90 (44.1 per cent success) and Callum Lang 48.57 (36.1 per cent success). The 24-year-old completed 279 passes with 76.7 per cent accuracy, 15 shots on target (0.94 per 90), 31 crosses (1.94 per 90) and 22 dribbles (1.38 per 90).
Goals and assists
The Pompey new boy has not delivered particularly prolific goal contributions, in a young career where he has constantly been on the move - certainly not to the level his talent suggests he’s capable of reaching. It was three goals and no assists last season with a career-best five goals and four assists with Bastia in the French second tier in the previous campaign. Before that, Bianchini played in the Championnat National (third tier) for Chateauroux with two goals and two assists in the 2022-23 season, three goals and four assists with Avranches (2021-22) and no returns with Amiens in the 2020-21 season.