GdS: ‘Protect and accompanies’ – Fofana is Milan’s ‘real essential’

Since joining AC Milan, Youssouf Fofana’s importance to the team has been easily seen, and in recent weeks, he has taken on a new importance, earning him the title of the ‘real essential’. 

Before the summer mercato was in action, reports suggested Milan needed a true ‘6’, and as time has progressed further, due to a slight misprofiling of Fofana’s game when he initially joined the club, as Gazzetta dello Sport write.

Ahead of his arrival, he was deemed a ‘classic’ holding midfielder, who would defend the backline while shuttling the ball forward. However, there were always signs of him being something more – we only have to look to the loss against Bayer Leverkusen for this.

The Frenchman was a shining light in a poor performance, due to his determination to drive the side forward – a trait not typically associated with the profile that had reportedly been added in the summer.

In the past eight games though, the Frenchman has excelled, given the keys to ‘protect and accompany’ the team in all phases of play – making him more of a box-to-box player, as opposed to a simple No.6.

With five assists – the highlighted being the winning one to Tijjani Reijnders on Friday night – he has perhaps again put the Rossoneri back into needing a true No.6. His quality to do all jobs, perhaps, makes him the ‘real essential’ of the team.

Rather than him being the key to Reijnders, perhaps they both need a key to unleash themselves.