SM Exclusive: Expert reveals all on Jashari – “The best midfielder Brugge have ever had”

Ardon Jashari is likely to be the most expensive signing of AC Milan’s 2025 summer transfer window, and yet to many he is an unknown quantity.

After the Charles De Ketelaere soap opera from three years ago, another transfer saga played out between Milan and Club Brugge that lasted over two months. In the end though the Rossoneri got their man, agreeing a deal north of €35m for Jashari.

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The Swiss international will join Luka Modric and Samuele Ricci to form part of a new-look midfield, a department that needed rebuilding after the big-money sale of Tijjani Reijnders to Manchester City. What can fans expect? We did our best to break down his profile in a recent player analysis.

However, it is also important to get the take from an expert, and few are more qualified than Sacha Tavolieri to speak about Jashari. Tavolieri covered the negotiations as they played out, and given he covers the Belgian league while also working for Sky Switzerland, he has all the bases covered.

When Ardon Jashari arrived from FC Luzern, was the feeling that Club Brugge had signed a top talent?

“To be honest he was a very good player, and I think he had a lot of talent, but the feeling was not that he had to become a super talent and a super player. It was a good player coming, but it wasn’t a phenomenon we were all waiting for.”

How quickly did Jashari establish himself as one of the most important players at Brugge?

“The first games. The first game was not good, he was a bit shy and not very involved with the spirit of the team. And right away he started becoming a very good player, and also in training he increased the level of intensity and impact, and we saw it on the pitch where he did very great things.

“That’s the way he started to become a very good player, and then – after the Champions League games – he adapted to another level.”

He won the Jupiler Pro League MVP award for 2024-25 with his performances. Was this deserved, and if yes then why?

“Yes sure it was very deserved. He was the best player in the team and he was also that kind of player that made the difference when the team needed. He was just the best to be honest, he was impressive and did so many big things.

“It was very, very impressive… his passing, the clinicity of his game. He is a fighter, he never hesitated with anything and you saw it on the pitch.”

What was your reaction to the news of Milan’s interest? Was it always known he would get a big move?

“For me it’s the perfect move because Milan need a new midfield with a new identity with another type of spirit, and Jashari is convening to it. The fact that Samuele Ricci, Jashari and Modric are all there, it’s something that will help the team to be even better.

“They were looking for a substitute for Reijnders… I think he’s even better than when Reijnders joined from AZ. So, it’s for me the perfect choice and you will see that he will be very important during this season.”

What can you tell us about Ardon’s playing style, his strengths and his weaknesses?

“I can tell you about the fact this player never, never hesitates. He’s always there for duels, face to face, bringing the best level for his team-mates.

“He has a pass that is absolutely amazing, [he is] a player that can bring a lot of impact, and what impressed me a lot is the fact that he can take the team and go straight away to put pressure on the opposition box.”

Is his preferred role defensive midfielder (No.6) or a box-to-box player (No.8)?

“I think it’s something he can move on. No.6, No.8… in the system of Allegri he can move and it won’t be very problematic. I would prefer him box-to-box, because he can do a lot of things and as I told you previously a big advantage is that he is able to get forward and make things happen.”

How do you think Jashari will perform at Milan, a club with much more scrutiny and higher expectations?

“He has sufficiently large shoulders to be able to understand and to be at the level we are expecting him to be, and that’s something that’s very important.

“When De Ketelaere arrived he was a kid, and he reflected and understood how a man is supposed to be, and the behaviour a man is supposed to when he is on the Milan level.

“The Milan level is something he [Jashari] is able to reach very quickly, also because he has some team-mates that are legends from his same culture.”

Are the concerns and comparisons with De Ketelaere fair?

“I don’t think the comparisons are fair because when you see what kind of player De Ketelaere is, he was not as ready as we thought. He is a player that is quite versatile, and is also able to do good things, but not the kind of player Milan can play with.

“He’s a player that plays with the system. He’s not really a No.9, he’s not really a No.10, he’s not a winger. You have to understand how he plays to make him play well, and Pioli didn’t do that, and that’s why also the player was a bit lost.

“The fact is that with Jashari everything is very clear: he is a midfielder, he is going to play in the midfield, and he knows his tasks and what he will have to do. For me, there is no concern, he will be very efficient straight away.”

Do you think the fee of €39m including bonuses is fair?

“Yes, for sure. I think €36m plus €3m… he was the best midfielder that Brugge have ever had. Brugge is the best team in Belgium. They get the Belgian record. It’s perfect, it’s just logical.”