AC Milan have not had the best of starts to the new season and have found themselves clinging onto few positives, but one source of hope is Youssouf Fofana and the role he can play.
As this morning’s La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recalls, the soap opera of the summer transfer window for Milan had Fofana as its title. The Rossoneri experienced a happy ending, eventually signing him from Monaco, but it took a lot of negotiating.
The Frenchman has already been given an absolute leading role because the midfield needs extra physicality and his characteristics were deemed perfect. Last season Milan let in 69 goals, and part of that is because of a lack of protection from midfield, something the €20m signing from Monaco should help with.
There will be plenty of chance for Fofana to show what he can do, especially after Ismael Bennacer’s injury. His recovery may take longer than expected and last until the end of the year, a gap that Fofana himself will have to fill.
He will have a dual role, because he will also have to help in the build-up phase in addition to being a break-up player in front of the defence. It is likely that Tijjani Reijnders will partner him and do more of the creating, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek playing further ahead and Yunus Musah the only real alternative.
Fofana will be a starter against Venezia when the season resumes, a warm-up in view of the big midfield matches against Liverpool and Inter. Those will be a double debut: his first match in the Champions League proper (with Monaco he played six matches in the qualifiers) and his first city derby.
Paulo Fonseca will get him back after he played from the start against Italy for France and got one minute in the second match against Belgium. Milan will also be able to help him in gaining a leading role in the national team, just as they did with Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez.
