Milan’s Youssouf Fofana: Why Premier League is a likely destination
· Yahoo Sports
Serie A side Milan have seen Youssouf Fofana witness ups and downs in the last couple of years. As of now, it feels like a move to the Premier League could be on the cards for the Frenchman.
Last season was one which saw the France international play at his strengths. He stood out while carrying the ball forward, progressing it from deep and connecting the heart of the park to the attack. He would launch attacks, beat a press and leave opposition defenders stranded.
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All that happened during a season where Milan struggled and never had any semblance of stability. They finished outside the European spots, leaving Max Allegri to come in during the summer.
Now, the Italian comes from a different footballing school altogether. He emphasises structure – sometimes overly so. He seeks organisation and every player is often supposed to be tracking back, filling in gaps across the park and relies a lot on forward players that attack spaces that the opposition leaves behind.
This has, in a way, brought out Fofana’s weaknesses. A lot of times when Milan don’t have the ball, he has found himself in advanced areas. When they’re in possession, he’s too deep and asked to be very disciplined. While he has evolved from a tactical and functional stand-point, his strengths have rarely been witnessed.
This – as per Daniele Longo, is making Milan consider a sale. Allegri would ideally want Fofana to stay but Milan will evaluate offers worth €25 million in the summer.
Premier League and Fofana?
Already, Everton have been mentioned as a suitor by Longo. In the last week, West Ham, Tottenham and Aston Villa were also suggested as interested parties.
This isn’t the first time that the 27-year-old has been linked with English clubs. When he was leaving Monaco, Manchester United attempted to land him and Chelsea did too.
The destination now seems ideal, for Milan too. They would earn quite a bit from his sale, making a capital profit in the process. The midfielder would also end up in a league which has a host of midfielders that are similar to him and rely on breaking the lines, beating a press and carrying the ball forward through crowded areas.
English football is currently at a point where covering distance is key but more than that, game-breakers in midfield have value. Those game-breakers ideally have to be ones that also play other roles and have some tactical discipline. Fofana has learnt that under Allegri but his attacking verve has almost gone to waste.
A manager like Unai Emery has historically loved players like the Frenchman. Roberto De Zerbi himself is a reason why the Premier League is hyper-focused on playing against the press and his Tottenham side will want more players of that ilk.
That is why the Premier League will bring more out of Fofana and Milan wouldn’t anything more.