AC Milan knew that they needed to address the balance of the midfield during the summer transfer window, and Youssouf Fofana is giving signs that he could be the missing piece.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, Fofana has played five games for Milan and there are some clear indications so far: out of possession he closes off the passing lanes and provides protects for the back four, but in possession he seems shy and has not shown the attacking dimension he had at Monaco.
There are two possible explanations. The first: Fofana sacrifices himself, he knows that Paulo Fonseca needs balance and does not go and occupy an area of the pitch inhabited by Reijnders, Pulisic, Morata and Leao. The second: Fofana arrived late and with Milan is not yet 100% fit.
The data shows that Fofana shot on goal 1.6 times per game at Monaco, while at Milan that value dropped to 0.6. He had higher numbers on expected assists (0.14 in France against 0.02 in Italy so far) and created a big chance every five games. In Serie A he is at zero and it doesn’t seem a rapid transformation is close.
Fofana is cautious with the Rossoneri and his heat maps explain a lot. At Monaco he was protected by a defensive midfielder, who was often Denis Zakaria, but now he plays with the ball mostly in his half of the field. He is the one protecting Reijnders, rather than the other way around.
When Milan have the ball, the France international dribbles in front of the central defenders, doesn’t take risks, plays with two touches. Essential. When Milan defends, Fofana stays with Reijnders in front of the central defenders as a screen to intercept moves in action.
