Formed by Hammers supporters Jack Elderton and Callum Goodall to offer their fellow fans in-depth but accessible analysis of their team and its players, Analytics United provide content for the Club's official website, app, Official Programme and social media channels.
Today, Analytics United use performance analysis and data to examine the contribution Igor Julio could make to West Ham United...
West Ham have confirmed the signing of Igor Julio on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion for the 2025/26 season. The centre-back joins to add depth on the left side of the defence.
Starting his career in the Red Bull system with RB Brasil, it wasn’t long before Igor moved up the ranks to RB Salzburg in the Austrian top flight. While there, he spent time at their farm club Liefering in the second tier and went out on loan twice: initially to Wolfsberger AC where he played every match bar one in the second half of the 2017/18 season under Heimo Pfeifenberger and Robert Ibertsberger, and then to FK Austria Vienna where he played the vast majority of the following season at both left-back and left-centre-back as Die Veilchen finished fourth, comfortably clear of city rivals Rapid.
Having picked up key experience in the Austrian Bundesliga, Igor then moved on a permanent transfer from RB Salzburg to Italian club SPAL before heading to Fiorentina to play first under Giuseppe Iachini, then under Cesare Prandelli, then Iachini again and finally Vincenzo Italiano. It was only after Italiano’s arrival that Fiorentina began to finally look upward again, after some challenging years in Serie A’s bottom half, and Igor was crucial to the team during this upturn in form. Italiano swiftly dispensed with Iachini’s three-at-the-back system and moved to a 4-2-3-1 that saw La Viola move from sixth from bottom for average possession (46.3%) to second behind Napoli (57.7%).
This change benefited Igor greatly as the Brazilian was finally able to show some of his most positive on-ball traits, ranking in the top 3% of Serie A centre-backs in the 2021/22 season for overall pass completion (91.8%) while simultaneously appearing inside the top 20% for riskier longer pass attempts (9.47 per 90). These numbers clearly indicate Igor’s impressive passing range and ability to operate at a high level both as a short circulator in defence and as a longer passer to connect with the frontline.
Given that second element, it is no surprise to see Igor also ranked inside the top 15% for progressive passing distance that season (393 yards per 90) while recording 3.57 passes to the final third per 90 (top 21%). The following season, he improved as a forward carrier with 140 yards gained per match via carry which, when combined with his positive passing, left him 12th best amongst Serie A centre-backs with over 85% pass completion for total yards gained per 90 (470).
These progressive qualities translated seamlessly to the Premier League after Igor’s transfer to Brighton. The Brazilian performed equally well with the ball under Roberto De Zerbi in the 2023/24 season, finishing one place higher (11th) amongst Premier League centre-backs, with over 90% pass completion this time, for total yards gained per 90 (550). Even more impressive is Igor’s press-resistance and ability to carry into dangerous areas: no central defender completed more take-ons per 90 than Igor in that season (0.88) and only a handful of his positional peers, including Manchester City duo Rúben Dias and Nathan Aké, outranked him for carries into the final third (1.26 per 90).
Clearly, Igor’s standout qualities come with the ball but this hasn’t stopped the Brazilian from performing well in duels throughout his career. In his first Premier League season, playing in a possession-dominant system often operating from a three-at-the-back both with the ball and in defensive transition, Igor recorded 68.4% success in his aerial duels and 58.6% success in his tackles against dribblers. His aerial success outmatched highly rated box defenders like Dan Burn (68.2%), Nathan Collins (67.6%) and former West Ham star Craig Dawson (66.3%). And similarly, he outperformed top defenders as a tackler, finishing ahead of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi (58.3%), fellow Brazilian centre-half Murillo (57.6%) and new PSG signing Ilia Zabarnyi (46%).
A left-footer capable of playing at left-centre-back and left-back, Igor adds necessary depth and competition to the backline after Nayef Aguerd’s departure. The Brazilian will add similar talent with the ball while also being capable of contributing positively as a dueller in defence. And if Igor can bring these elements back together under Graham Potter, West Ham might just be able to get him back into the form he showed under Italiano at Fiorentina, where he helped return La Viola to European competition, restoring them to their rightful place amongst the Italian elite.
*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of Analytics United and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of West Ham United.
