AC Milan pursued Youssouf Fofana all summer, after all, he was seen as the one to restore order in the midfield. Following a difficult summer, though, that player did not arrive. It is fair to suggest he is revving his engine now, though.
Throughout the mercato, other roles lacked any idea of clarity, and Milan often floated between ideas, but this was not the case in midfield. It was, and always has been Fofana for Paulo Fonseca, and this is why the Rossoneri eventually bit the bullet and paid the price for the Monegasque midfielder.
Negotiations ended with the Diavolo paying twice as much as they had initially hoped, but with a clear gap in the middle third, and a player tailor made for the role, Milan had to make a sacrifice, and until recently it had been scrutinised.
Due to the length of negotiations, Fofana trained on the sidelines in Monaco, and when he arrived at Milanello this was clear to see, with several reports suggesting that he was not at 100%. Since then though, he has committed himself, and Milan News states that Milan’s engine is beginning to ‘rev up’.
Partnered with Tijjani Reijnders, the Frenchman knows his role and does it superbly, but there have been chances for him to progress, which he has happily taken – the game against Bayer Leverkusen was a fantastic example.
When he arrived, Fofana was far from his best, but this was known. Now, with faith and time, the Diavolo are seeing the midfielder’s ‘full potential’ begin to emerge, and he will only continue to grow.