AC Milan chose it invest a big sum on Ardon Jashari in the summer window, and he is starting to repay that faith.
While Milan have begun pressuring Luka Modrić to activate the clause that would extend his contract into next season, one thing is certain: Ardon Jashari is finally finding his physical, technical and mental rhythm.
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The Swiss midfielder was one of the club’s biggest summer investments, along with Christopher Nkunku in terms of financial value. Negotiations with Club Brugge were long and complex, but the determination of the management got it over the line.
Starting to flourish
As highlighted in this morning’s edition of Tuttosport (via MilanPress), Jashari’s initial period with Milan was marked by bad luck. Before Lecce-Milan suffered a compound fracture of the fibula, which sidelined him for approximately two months.
It was an unexpected event that nullified the physical work he’d done in preseason and delayed his integration. When he returned, the team were enjoying a positive period in terms of results, and so opportunities were more limited.
Training daily alongside Modric is a true learning experience for Jashari, while his tactical positioning was a puzzle for Massimiliano Allegri. He was initially unsure whether to play him as a regista or as a mezzala.
Today, the solution seems clear: Jashari operates as a right midfielder, next to Modric, with the freedom to swap positions and duties. A sort of shared playmaking that feels like a passing of the torch.
The Modric-Jashari partnership could find continuity from the starting XI at the end of the season. The Swiss has impressed Allegri with his personality and growth, to the point of climbing the internal pecking order, surpassing Youssouf Fofana.
What happened against Parma was a prime example, when Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s injury opened the door for his introduction. The feeling is that without the early-season injury, his integration would have been even quicker. The end of the season will tell a lot about Jashari’s level.
Meanwhile, the World Cup is also on the horizon, where he’s expected to be a member of the Switzerland national team. Milan are watching him closely, because while the present is called Modric, the future could be Ardon Jashari’s.
Can we please have Modric, Rabiot and Jashari. I know Allegri likes him at the deep playmaker. But, he played a ton of games for Brugge, way further up the pitch.
This. They all can defend and they all can build. Heck, they’re all capable of scoring too (unlike e.g. Fofana).
The fact that Jashari and Modrci can play interchangeably is a big advantage since other teams won’t have a point of reference. The question is what else do you ask of Modric if he isn’t sitting deep? Box to box? Does he have the legs for that for 90 minutes?