Out of the many players I’ve covered, not a single player has come from Serie A, and there is one simple reason why. The Italian top flight just isn’t as interesting as the other leagues. While it mostly has to do with Juventus winning the league in the worst fashion, it also has to do with the general style. The Premier League and Bundesliga have been so interesting to look at with innovative managers and young players shining in teams that are fun to watch. Italy just didn’t have that this season. While Napoli and Atalanta do break the mould, with the pair being entertaining to watch, you still see Juventus, Inter and AC Milan all being very dull. Maybe the departure of Allegri and arrival of Conte to Inter Milan might change that, but at the moment it is at the bottom in leagues to watch.
It is, however, the league that seems to contain the clubs who refuse to cash in on overperforming players. What I mean by this is every once in a while, a player will have a truly stand out season, and when the bigger clubs come knocking, they refuse to sell in the expectation that the player in question will improve and be seen as a more valuable prospect in the future. Andrea Belotti serves as the perfect example. After his exceptional 2016/17 season, which saw him score 26 goals, with only Dzeko and Mertens scoring more. Before they signed Romelu Lukaku, United were ready to offer over £80 million for the Italian. It was foolish for them to offer that much for a player who scored over 20 goals for the first time in his career, but it was even worse to see Torino reject it. They instantly came to regret it. Belotti suffered injuries last season and generally looked worse. While he did improve this season, he wasn’t nearly as good as he was in that breakout season. Valencia made the same mistake in not selling Rodrigo when Madrid were offering a crazy amount for the Spaniard, and Palace might make the same mistake regarding Zaha.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe player we will be analysing today was also related to the ignorant stances clubs can take. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic had a fantastic 17/18 season, which saw him score 12 and assist 3. He was one of the highlights of a strong Lazio side, and it didn’t take long until Manchester United came knocking. They were offering nearly £80 million to sign the Serbian midfielder, and Lazio refused. It now seems that Milinkovic-Savic is on his way to Juventus, for £30 million less than United were offering. It’s another example of a club ignoring a better deal but does this drop in price show a player who has stagnated?
Milinkovic-Savic began his career in his homeland, playing for one of the biggest clubs in the country, Vojvodina. He shined in the youth team and ended up playing 13 games for the side, before moving on to Genk. In his only season for the Belgian club, he showed himself to be a midfielder with an eye for a goal, scoring 5 in 24 games. Lazio then decided to sign the Serbian, where he has remained and flourished. While he seemed to be a bit part player in his first campaign, he has shown himself to be an important player for the side, starting over 30 games for 3 straight seasons. He has the game time to back up the exciting numbers he has been putting up.
With Milinkovic-Savic starting as a central midfielder and slowly being pushed to a dominant attacking midfielder, his numbers have increased in some areas and dropped in others. His defensive numbers have slowly been declining since his arrival from Genk, going from 3.2 tackles and interceptions in the 2016/17 season to 2.1 last season. Inzaghi has used him in a more attacking role and has gotten the best out of the Serb. He is a physical presence in midfield and has the speed and energy to easily move up and down the pitch. Milinkovic-Savic specialises in making runs late into the box but is also comfortable in dropping deeper to receive the ball from his defenders. He has a good range of passing, which has allowed him to pick out the runs that their wing backs would usually make. While there is some flexibility in how Sergej can be deployed, the only area he truly stands out in is in the penalty area. While a return of 5 goals isn’t a fantastic one, he constantly makes late runs into the box. using his superior aerial presence to win the ball for his side. He wins 3.6 aerial duels per game, the most for his side. He gives Lazio another dimension in attack. While Alberto is a fantastic creator and Correa a good dribbler, Savic gives them another threat in attack. giving them a sense of unpredictability. His shot locations are okay. He is taking 1 shot per game, but most of his shots are coming from outside of the box. He is an average distance shooter, but he should stop shooting recklessly. He has a good range of passing that enables him to spread the ball across the pitch. While I did compliment Demirbay recently for his shots coming from outside of the box, that is because he is good at it. Milinkovic-Savic is also a very good dribbler. While his 1.1 successful dribbles per game could be higher, he does use his size to his advantage. It makes him difficult to dispossess.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhile Juventus remaining interested could be good for the player, I would recommend the Champions stay clear. The Old Lady are in dire need of an elite midfielder. With Khedira and Matuidi looking worse as the seasons pass by, they do need a player who is able to cover the same ground, while also being able to contribute on the attacking end. Juventus were outrun in midfield against Ajax in both legs, and couldn’t deal with the brilliance of Frenkie De Jong. While Milinkovic-Savic does offer a better option in that area, I do think they should look for someone else. Brozovic, Kovacic, Rabiot and Partey would make a lot more sense. Milinkovic-Savic excels in an area where Juventus do not need cover. They already have Ronaldo and Mandzukic as their aerial threats. The Serbian doesn’t stand out defensively and while his range of passing is impressive, they already have Pjanic as a player with excellent passing. Savic has been relied on heavily after the departure of Anderson and when Alberto has missed games. He doesn’t stand out in a way that would make big clubs take note. He isn’t what Juventus need at the moment.
I think there will still be suitors for the Serbian international. His goal drop might look like a problem, but xG shows he was lucky to even reach 12 goals in his breakout season. It looked more likely he would get around 6 goals instead. There is a lot of Savic’s game that I like, but isn’t at the same level as someone like Paul Pogba or Bernardo Silva. In a couple of years, Lazio might regret not selling Milinkovic-Savic when they had the chance.
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