Tottenham Hotspur have added two top-quality recruits to their squad during this transfer window and the focus of pre-season preparations now switches to the pitch. 

Victor Wanyama has joined from Southampton, and Vincent Janssen from Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar; both will now be thrust immediately into first-team consideration. 

Spurs have three warm-up matches scheduled against high-calibre opposition before their domestic campaign gets underway on August 13 at Everton. First, Juventus and Atletico Madrid are the opposition in a whirlwind tour of Australia before a match against Inter Milan in Norway wraps things up. 

In contrast to the schedules under previous Tottenham managers, Pochettino‘s pre-seasons are relatively sparse. A tour of America—organised before his appointment in 2014—is the sole exception as both of the last two campaigns have seen only three matches. 

Harry Kane was evidently fatigued by the end of last season and struggled to reach his customary excellence in the final month. He was similarly ineffectual on England duty at the 2016 UEFA European Championship in France. Pochettino prioritises fitness and physical preparation and, with that in mind, the 22-year-old is unlikely to be immediately involved in Spurs’ pre-season activities. 

While young forwards Kazaiah Sterling and Shayon Harrison will be with the first team and should get opportunities to show their quality, Vincent Janssen is the man to watch in pre-season. 

The Dutchman will have immediate chances to show his quality given the number of Spurs players still recuperating from their exertions in summer tournaments. Juventus and Atletico possess two of Europe’s meanest defences and, while both are in an earlier stage of their pre-season than Spurs, they will present useful tests for Janssen.

Per the official Tottenham website, Pochettino hailed Janssen‘s “perfect profile,” explaining that he “has quality in the box and he’s a striker that likes to fight and work for the team. That is perfect for us.”

The key to Janssen‘s success will ultimately be his ability to score goals, but that is more of a long-term concern. Aged just 22 and making a significant step up in terms of opposition, the Netherlands international may take time to find his best form. This pre-season will be about learning Pochettino‘s system and showing that he can ape Kane’s rounded contribution. 

Last season, Kane failed to score in the opening six games. While the media inveighed against the supposed “one-season wonder,” few close observers were concerned as the England international continued to excel in his other roles. He led the pressing with aggression and intelligence, held the ball well to incorporate his team-mates and continued to take up the right positions. 

That is what Janssen must show in this pre-season and what will determine his success or failure at the club. 

Relatively little of certainty can be taken from pre-season results. Spurs famously battered AS Roma 5-0 and Borussia Dortmund 3-0 in their final warm-up matches before going winless through the opening eight games in Juande Ramos’ final season. 

However, the speed with which Janssen is incorporated into Spurs’ system will be instructive, as will Pochettino‘s willingness to experiment with two forwards. Last season, Eric Dier’s move into midfield was sealed by a 45-minute experiment in pre-season, according to Matt Law of the Telegraph. 

While it seems unlikely that the Argentinian will change his system dramatically enough to feature two centre-forwards, it is a possibility. 

Evolution is key for Pochettino‘s team. In his first season, elements of the cohesion and aggression that defined his Southampton side began to emerge but only in his second did those become the default.

With his third year at White Hart Lane on the horizon, Pochettino will aim to further inculcate his squad with his philosophy, and any players that fail to fit into their role will be rapidly sidelined. Janssen must avoid that fate or his Spurs career will be over before it begins.

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Tottenham Hotspur have added two top-quality recruits to their squad during this transfer window and the focus of pre-season preparations now switches to the pitch. 

Victor Wanyama has joined from Southampton, and Vincent Janssen from Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar; both will now be thrust immediately into first-team consideration. 

Spurs have three warm-up matches scheduled against high-calibre opposition before their domestic campaign gets underway on August 13 at Everton. First, Juventus and Atletico Madrid are the opposition in a whirlwind tour of Australia before a match against Inter Milan in Norway wraps things up. 

In contrast to the schedules under previous Tottenham managers, Pochettino‘s pre-seasons are relatively sparse. A tour of America—organised before his appointment in 2014—is the sole exception as both of the last two campaigns have seen only three matches. 

Harry Kane was evidently fatigued by the end of last season and struggled to reach his customary excellence in the final month. He was similarly ineffectual on England duty at the 2016 UEFA European Championship in France. Pochettino prioritises fitness and physical preparation and, with that in mind, the 22-year-old is unlikely to be immediately involved in Spurs’ pre-season activities. 

While young forwards Kazaiah Sterling and Shayon Harrison will be with the first team and should get opportunities to show their quality, Vincent Janssen is the man to watch in pre-season. 

The Dutchman will have immediate chances to show his quality given the number of Spurs players still recuperating from their exertions in summer tournaments. Juventus and Atletico possess two of Europe’s meanest defences and, while both are in an earlier stage of their pre-season than Spurs, they will present useful tests for Janssen.

Per the official Tottenham website, Pochettino hailed Janssen‘s “perfect profile,” explaining that he “has quality in the box and he’s a striker that likes to fight and work for the team. That is perfect for us.”

The key to Janssen‘s success will ultimately be his ability to score goals, but that is more of a long-term concern. Aged just 22 and making a significant step up in terms of opposition, the Netherlands international may take time to find his best form. This pre-season will be about learning Pochettino‘s system and showing that he can ape Kane’s rounded contribution. 

Last season, Kane failed to score in the opening six games. While the media inveighed against the supposed “one-season wonder,” few close observers were concerned as the England international continued to excel in his other roles. He led the pressing with aggression and intelligence, held the ball well to incorporate his team-mates and continued to take up the right positions. 

That is what Janssen must show in this pre-season and what will determine his success or failure at the club. 

Relatively little of certainty can be taken from pre-season results. Spurs famously battered AS Roma 5-0 and Borussia Dortmund 3-0 in their final warm-up matches before going winless through the opening eight games in Juande Ramos’ final season. 

However, the speed with which Janssen is incorporated into Spurs’ system will be instructive, as will Pochettino‘s willingness to experiment with two forwards. Last season, Eric Dier’s move into midfield was sealed by a 45-minute experiment in pre-season, according to Matt Law of the Telegraph. 

While it seems unlikely that the Argentinian will change his system dramatically enough to feature two centre-forwards, it is a possibility. 

Evolution is key for Pochettino‘s team. In his first season, elements of the cohesion and aggression that defined his Southampton side began to emerge but only in his second did those become the default.

With his third year at White Hart Lane on the horizon, Pochettino will aim to further inculcate his squad with his philosophy, and any players that fail to fit into their role will be rapidly sidelined. Janssen must avoid that fate or his Spurs career will be over before it begins.

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Arsenal are once again being linked with several strikers, as the transfer rumours involving Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette and Inter Milan‘s Mauro Icardi have kicked up a notch.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas previously told L’Equipe (h/t Dejan Kalinic of Goal) he doesn’t believe the former is angling for a move to the Gunners and he expects him to remain at the club, but per local newspaper Le Progres (h/t Daily Express‘ James Cambridge), Arsenal are preparing a new £42 million offer.

Per the report, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger already tabled a £33 million offer that was rejected, but he’s now ready to return with an improved bid if negotiations for Napoli star Gonzalo Higuain lead to nothing.

Lacazette has been linked with a move away from Lyon with some frequency during the last 18 months, and after back-to-back prolific campaigns in Ligue 1, his stock is as high as ever. Per WhoScored.com, he found the net in the domestic league 21 times this year after scoring 27 goals in 2014-15.

Here’s a look at some of his highlights:

The 25-year-old wasn’t selected for France’s Euro 2016 squad, which came as a huge surprise, given his strong form. Blessed with raw pace and superb instincts, he has the look of a star striker who should more than hold up in the Premier League.

While he has taken advantage of some lackluster defending in Ligue 1, his impressive conversion rate is a sign he’ll make the most of his chances no matter where he plays, per WhoScored.com:

The reported offer of £42 million is steep, but it’s par for the course for a relatively young, productive striker. Whether Lyon would sell at this price is another matter, however―the club only just moved into a brand-new stadium, and the 2016-17 campaign is hugely important for Les Gones. Unless Lacazette asks for a move, they’ll likely turn down just about any offer.

Elsewhere, Icardi‘s wife and agent Wanda Nara has shed some light on the ongoing transfer saga involving the striker, claiming Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid have all expressed interest in the Argentina international.

Speaking to Corriere della Sera (h/t London Evening Standard‘s James Benge), she maintains Icardi wants to stay with the Nerazzurri, but certain promises have to be upheld:

We want to stay in Milan. People say I am a mercenary, but I am not. [Inter] have to say the truth. They can’t say Icardi is not for sale and then talk to other clubs.

I’ve asked for a renewal because the club had promised me a renewal. Last year we accepted their conditions, which mean a lower salary, the sale of the 50% of Mauro’s economic rights and there is no release clause on his contract. They have to keep their promises.

There are many offers, but I do not negotiate with other clubs. I only talk about Mauro’s contract, that’s my role, not doing negotiations. Atletico Madrid, Tottenham and Arsenal have made contact. Napoli and Roma are also interested now.

Nara recently told Calciomercato.com (h/t Benge and Vaishali Bhardwaj of the London Evening Standard) Inter are actively trying to sell Icardi, which set off a whole bunch of rumours. The club denied the allegations, saying Icardi won’t be sold, and that in turn led some to believe it was the agent herself trying to broker a transfer, something she has now denied.

As reported by Football Italia, Inter manager Roberto Mancini said Icardi is “working hard” during pre-season training and “committed,” suggesting the club doesn’t believe they’ll lose their star striker in the near future.

The 23-year-old has been Inter’s top attacking option for the last two years, but during those two campaigns, the club has failed to live up to the lofty ambitions. Icardi‘s strong performances have largely gone unnoticed outside of Italy as a result, and that has played a big part in the ongoing speculation.

As you can see in these highlights, he has a great eye for goal:

Icardi is an opportunistic striker who works well both inside the box and in space. If his relationship with Inter has indeed turned sour, he should be available for a fee far below what Napoli and Lyon will demand for Higuain and Lacazette, respectively.

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Arsenal are once again being linked with several strikers, as the transfer rumours involving Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette and Inter Milan‘s Mauro Icardi have kicked up a notch.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas previously told L’Equipe (h/t Dejan Kalinic of Goal) he doesn’t believe the former is angling for a move to the Gunners and he expects him to remain at the club, but per local newspaper Le Progres (h/t Daily Express‘ James Cambridge), Arsenal are preparing a new £42 million offer.

Per the report, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger already tabled a £33 million offer that was rejected, but he’s now ready to return with an improved bid if negotiations for Napoli star Gonzalo Higuain lead to nothing.

Lacazette has been linked with a move away from Lyon with some frequency during the last 18 months, and after back-to-back prolific campaigns in Ligue 1, his stock is as high as ever. Per WhoScored.com, he found the net in the domestic league 21 times this year after scoring 27 goals in 2014-15.

Here’s a look at some of his highlights:

The 25-year-old wasn’t selected for France’s Euro 2016 squad, which came as a huge surprise, given his strong form. Blessed with raw pace and superb instincts, he has the look of a star striker who should more than hold up in the Premier League.

While he has taken advantage of some lackluster defending in Ligue 1, his impressive conversion rate is a sign he’ll make the most of his chances no matter where he plays, per WhoScored.com:

The reported offer of £42 million is steep, but it’s par for the course for a relatively young, productive striker. Whether Lyon would sell at this price is another matter, however―the club only just moved into a brand-new stadium, and the 2016-17 campaign is hugely important for Les Gones. Unless Lacazette asks for a move, they’ll likely turn down just about any offer.

Elsewhere, Icardi‘s wife and agent Wanda Nara has shed some light on the ongoing transfer saga involving the striker, claiming Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid have all expressed interest in the Argentina international.

Speaking to Corriere della Sera (h/t London Evening Standard‘s James Benge), she maintains Icardi wants to stay with the Nerazzurri, but certain promises have to be upheld:

We want to stay in Milan. People say I am a mercenary, but I am not. [Inter] have to say the truth. They can’t say Icardi is not for sale and then talk to other clubs.

I’ve asked for a renewal because the club had promised me a renewal. Last year we accepted their conditions, which mean a lower salary, the sale of the 50% of Mauro’s economic rights and there is no release clause on his contract. They have to keep their promises.

There are many offers, but I do not negotiate with other clubs. I only talk about Mauro’s contract, that’s my role, not doing negotiations. Atletico Madrid, Tottenham and Arsenal have made contact. Napoli and Roma are also interested now.

Nara recently told Calciomercato.com (h/t Benge and Vaishali Bhardwaj of the London Evening Standard) Inter are actively trying to sell Icardi, which set off a whole bunch of rumours. The club denied the allegations, saying Icardi won’t be sold, and that in turn led some to believe it was the agent herself trying to broker a transfer, something she has now denied.

As reported by Football Italia, Inter manager Roberto Mancini said Icardi is “working hard” during pre-season training and “committed,” suggesting the club doesn’t believe they’ll lose their star striker in the near future.

The 23-year-old has been Inter’s top attacking option for the last two years, but during those two campaigns, the club has failed to live up to the lofty ambitions. Icardi‘s strong performances have largely gone unnoticed outside of Italy as a result, and that has played a big part in the ongoing speculation.

As you can see in these highlights, he has a great eye for goal:

Icardi is an opportunistic striker who works well both inside the box and in space. If his relationship with Inter has indeed turned sour, he should be available for a fee far below what Napoli and Lyon will demand for Higuain and Lacazette, respectively.

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This summer is one of holistic change for AC Milan. The club, intent on reclaiming its place among Italy’s best, has appointed a new coach in Vincenzo Montella and brought in two new players already in Leonel Vangioni and Gianluca Lapadula.

And further additions are believed to be on the way as takeover negotiations continue between club president Silvio Berlusconi and a Chinese consortium.

While these are good times for the Rossoneri as a whole, the process could be seen as bad news for a select few individuals—namely those who have underperformed—within the existing squad. This particular shortlist of players includes Luiz Adriano.

The Brazilian arrived at Milan during a period of grand ambition last summer. He was part of a major spending spree that saw the club bring in several big names, including Carlos Bacca, Alessio Romagnoli and Andrea Bertolacci, for large transfer fees in the hope of an instant turnaround in fortunes.

But the flurry of transfer-market activity didn’t bring about a quick enough improvement. This April, Sinisa Mihajlovic, who was appointed head coach last June, was dismissed after the team put in a series of dour, unexciting performances and failed to get results. The Rossoneri finished the Serie A season in seventh place, missing out on European football once again.

Adriano wasn’t the only player not to live up to expectations, but his poor debut season offers little hope for the future, especially considering that Montella will likely have transfer targets of his own to reinvigorate Milan’s attack this summer.

The 29-year-old striker signed from Shakhtar Donestk for a fee of £6 million. Before leaving Ukraine, he became the Miners’ all-time record goalscorer in all competitions, with 128 to his name.

Having spent the best part of a decade with the club, he had gradually established himself as one of the finest strikers outside of Europe’s major leagues. And, on top of all that, he finished as the fourth-highest scorer in the 2014-15 Champions League, behind only Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

And the early signs for Adriano in 2015-16 were positive.

In Milan’s first competitive game of the season, a Coppa Italia clash at home to Perugia, his dummy helped to play in Keisuke Honda for the opener before he scored one of his own to make it 2-0.

Then, after a dismal team display in a 2-0 defeat away to Fiorentina on Serie A’s opening day, Adriano set up the Rossoneri’s first league goal of the campaign. With a finely weighted through ball, he played in Bacca, who rounded the Empoli goalkeeper to finish with aplomb. Later in the game, he would leap to head home the second goal in a 2-1 win.

Having shown his ability to both create and take chances, he was named WhoScored.com’s man of the match with an impressive performance rating of 8.36.

Adriano’s second league match at the San Siro was as big as it gets: the Derby della Madonnina with city rivals Inter Milan. However, despite often getting behind the Nerazzurri back line, he was unable to finish any of his opportunities, and Milan lost, 1-0.

Following on from that, he would score just twice more for the Rossoneri in 2015. His match-winning header against Sassuolo and a well-taken chest and volley against Sampdoria were good strikes, but the quality didn’t make up for the sheer paucity of goals to his name.

Adriano had shown signs of striking up a good relationship with Bacca, but he soon fell down the pecking order as Mihajlovic turned instead to M’Baye Niang to partner the Colombian poacher. And the 21-year-old did an excellent job, going on to score five and set up four goals in 16 league appearances.

Following an alarmingly quick loss of form, the performances of a younger positional rival weren’t the only worry.

By January, Adriano was no longer simply seeking to justify a place in Milan’s starting lineup, but in the squad. Rumours swirled of a potential move to China, with Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) eventually confirming that Jiangsu Suning were willing to pay €14 million to secure the player’s signature, just six months after he had arrived in Italy.

That deal eventually fell through with contractual problems cited as the primary reason.

Talking to Calciomercato (h/t ESPN FC) Adriano stated:

It’s not true what people are saying. I didn‘t ask for more money as soon as I had arrived in China. The truth is I was not given any guarantee at all over my salary. They did not want to put the right figures on the contract and that is not the way I work, and that is why I have not joined Jiangsu Suning.

Back at Milan, Adriano’s attempts to return to the first team were stalled by injury problems, with a bruised rib, a leg injury and a stomach complaint keeping him out of action. When he did get back to full fitness, he scored just one further goal, a penalty against Atalanta in a 2-1 defeat.

His maiden year with the Rossoneri had become a nightmare without any sign of redemption. And there is very little reason to argue that Montella can get more out him going forward.

The new coach may not always opt for two strikers, an attacking option Milan often utilised last season with 4-3-1-2 and 4-4-2 systems. Instead, the 4-3-3 and 3-4-2-1 that he used with both Fiorentina and Sampdoria could be implemented, meaning less space for the likes of Adriano.

There are also a number of reasons to suggest that the player will not fit his new manager’s philosophy from a stylistic perspective.

Montella is known for his possession-based approach, something he is highly unlikely to compromise. He discussed this recently with the press (h/t Football Italia), saying: “What matters most are the principles of play. The club knows what my ideas are, and now even the players have understood them.”

Adriano’s primary assets are his athletic and physical qualities. Fast with an explosive burst of acceleration, deceptive strength and aerial ability, he enjoys attacking space. However in tighter situations, he tends not to flourish.

This is something backed up by Squawka’s statistics, which show that last season, he won more headers per 90 minutes than any of his striking colleagues. However, he had far fewer successful dribbles, played relatively few key passes and had a poor shot accuracy of 43 per cent.

Adriano is a direct, physical striker, but his technical limitations could cost him dearly in the hunt for a starting berth in Montella’s Milan lineup, where link-up play, precision and control in small spaces will probably be of utmost importance.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Italian Football Daily), new Zenit St. Petersburg coach Mircea Lucescu could be keen to reunite with the forward, having worked with him previously at Shakhtar.

Taking into account Adriano’s form and style of play, Milan would be wise to consider selling him should the correct offer—somewhere around his Transfermarkt.co.uk valuation of £8.5 million—come in. But, with Bacca reportedly edging closer to a move to West Ham, per Sport Mediaset (h/t Football Italia), things may not be so clear-cut.

Should the Rossoneri’s top scorer from last season move to the Premier League, Montella would be left with relatively few striking options in Lapadula, Niang and Alessandro Matri, who recently returned from a loan spell with Lazio.

If Bacca does indeed leave, Milan may look to keep Adriano as a squad player. But this should not dissuade the club from looking elsewhere for strikers more suited to the new coach’s specific tactical ideals.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/29DIVqm
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This summer is one of holistic change for AC Milan. The club, intent on reclaiming its place among Italy’s best, has appointed a new coach in Vincenzo Montella and brought in two new players already in Leonel Vangioni and Gianluca Lapadula.

And further additions are believed to be on the way as takeover negotiations continue between club president Silvio Berlusconi and a Chinese consortium.

While these are good times for the Rossoneri as a whole, the process could be seen as bad news for a select few individuals—namely those who have underperformed—within the existing squad. This particular shortlist of players includes Luiz Adriano.

The Brazilian arrived at Milan during a period of grand ambition last summer. He was part of a major spending spree that saw the club bring in several big names, including Carlos Bacca, Alessio Romagnoli and Andrea Bertolacci, for large transfer fees in the hope of an instant turnaround in fortunes.

But the flurry of transfer-market activity didn’t bring about a quick enough improvement. This April, Sinisa Mihajlovic, who was appointed head coach last June, was dismissed after the team put in a series of dour, unexciting performances and failed to get results. The Rossoneri finished the Serie A season in seventh place, missing out on European football once again.

Adriano wasn’t the only player not to live up to expectations, but his poor debut season offers little hope for the future, especially considering that Montella will likely have transfer targets of his own to reinvigorate Milan’s attack this summer.

The 29-year-old striker signed from Shakhtar Donestk for a fee of £6 million. Before leaving Ukraine, he became the Miners’ all-time record goalscorer in all competitions, with 128 to his name.

Having spent the best part of a decade with the club, he had gradually established himself as one of the finest strikers outside of Europe’s major leagues. And, on top of all that, he finished as the fourth-highest scorer in the 2014-15 Champions League, behind only Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

And the early signs for Adriano in 2015-16 were positive.

In Milan’s first competitive game of the season, a Coppa Italia clash at home to Perugia, his dummy helped to play in Keisuke Honda for the opener before he scored one of his own to make it 2-0.

Then, after a dismal team display in a 2-0 defeat away to Fiorentina on Serie A’s opening day, Adriano set up the Rossoneri’s first league goal of the campaign. With a finely weighted through ball, he played in Bacca, who rounded the Empoli goalkeeper to finish with aplomb. Later in the game, he would leap to head home the second goal in a 2-1 win.

Having shown his ability to both create and take chances, he was named WhoScored.com’s man of the match with an impressive performance rating of 8.36.

Adriano’s second league match at the San Siro was as big as it gets: the Derby della Madonnina with city rivals Inter Milan. However, despite often getting behind the Nerazzurri back line, he was unable to finish any of his opportunities, and Milan lost, 1-0.

Following on from that, he would score just twice more for the Rossoneri in 2015. His match-winning header against Sassuolo and a well-taken chest and volley against Sampdoria were good strikes, but the quality didn’t make up for the sheer paucity of goals to his name.

Adriano had shown signs of striking up a good relationship with Bacca, but he soon fell down the pecking order as Mihajlovic turned instead to M’Baye Niang to partner the Colombian poacher. And the 21-year-old did an excellent job, going on to score five and set up four goals in 16 league appearances.

Following an alarmingly quick loss of form, the performances of a younger positional rival weren’t the only worry.

By January, Adriano was no longer simply seeking to justify a place in Milan’s starting lineup, but in the squad. Rumours swirled of a potential move to China, with Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) eventually confirming that Jiangsu Suning were willing to pay €14 million to secure the player’s signature, just six months after he had arrived in Italy.

That deal eventually fell through with contractual problems cited as the primary reason.

Talking to Calciomercato (h/t ESPN FC) Adriano stated:

It’s not true what people are saying. I didn‘t ask for more money as soon as I had arrived in China. The truth is I was not given any guarantee at all over my salary. They did not want to put the right figures on the contract and that is not the way I work, and that is why I have not joined Jiangsu Suning.

Back at Milan, Adriano’s attempts to return to the first team were stalled by injury problems, with a bruised rib, a leg injury and a stomach complaint keeping him out of action. When he did get back to full fitness, he scored just one further goal, a penalty against Atalanta in a 2-1 defeat.

His maiden year with the Rossoneri had become a nightmare without any sign of redemption. And there is very little reason to argue that Montella can get more out him going forward.

The new coach may not always opt for two strikers, an attacking option Milan often utilised last season with 4-3-1-2 and 4-4-2 systems. Instead, the 4-3-3 and 3-4-2-1 that he used with both Fiorentina and Sampdoria could be implemented, meaning less space for the likes of Adriano.

There are also a number of reasons to suggest that the player will not fit his new manager’s philosophy from a stylistic perspective.

Montella is known for his possession-based approach, something he is highly unlikely to compromise. He discussed this recently with the press (h/t Football Italia), saying: “What matters most are the principles of play. The club knows what my ideas are, and now even the players have understood them.”

Adriano’s primary assets are his athletic and physical qualities. Fast with an explosive burst of acceleration, deceptive strength and aerial ability, he enjoys attacking space. However in tighter situations, he tends not to flourish.

This is something backed up by Squawka’s statistics, which show that last season, he won more headers per 90 minutes than any of his striking colleagues. However, he had far fewer successful dribbles, played relatively few key passes and had a poor shot accuracy of 43 per cent.

Adriano is a direct, physical striker, but his technical limitations could cost him dearly in the hunt for a starting berth in Montella’s Milan lineup, where link-up play, precision and control in small spaces will probably be of utmost importance.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Italian Football Daily), new Zenit St. Petersburg coach Mircea Lucescu could be keen to reunite with the forward, having worked with him previously at Shakhtar.

Taking into account Adriano’s form and style of play, Milan would be wise to consider selling him should the correct offer—somewhere around his Transfermarkt.co.uk valuation of £8.5 million—come in. But, with Bacca reportedly edging closer to a move to West Ham, per Sport Mediaset (h/t Football Italia), things may not be so clear-cut.

Should the Rossoneri’s top scorer from last season move to the Premier League, Montella would be left with relatively few striking options in Lapadula, Niang and Alessandro Matri, who recently returned from a loan spell with Lazio.

If Bacca does indeed leave, Milan may look to keep Adriano as a squad player. But this should not dissuade the club from looking elsewhere for strikers more suited to the new coach’s specific tactical ideals.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/29DIVqm
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This summer is one of holistic change for AC Milan. The club, intent on reclaiming its place among Italy’s best, has appointed a new coach in Vincenzo Montella and brought in two new players already in Leonel Vangioni and Gianluca Lapadula.

And further additions are believed to be on the way as takeover negotiations continue between club president Silvio Berlusconi and a Chinese consortium.

While these are good times for the Rossoneri as a whole, the process could be seen as bad news for a select few individuals—namely those who have underperformed—within the existing squad. This particular shortlist of players includes Luiz Adriano.

The Brazilian arrived at Milan during a period of grand ambition last summer. He was part of a major spending spree that saw the club bring in several big names, including Carlos Bacca, Alessio Romagnoli and Andrea Bertolacci, for large transfer fees in the hope of an instant turnaround in fortunes.

But the flurry of transfer-market activity didn’t bring about a quick enough improvement. This April, Sinisa Mihajlovic, who was appointed head coach last June, was dismissed after the team put in a series of dour, unexciting performances and failed to get results. The Rossoneri finished the Serie A season in seventh place, missing out on European football once again.

Adriano wasn’t the only player not to live up to expectations, but his poor debut season offers little hope for the future, especially considering that Montella will likely have transfer targets of his own to reinvigorate Milan’s attack this summer.

The 29-year-old striker signed from Shakhtar Donestk for a fee of £6 million. Before leaving Ukraine, he became the Miners’ all-time record goalscorer in all competitions, with 128 to his name.

Having spent the best part of a decade with the club, he had gradually established himself as one of the finest strikers outside of Europe’s major leagues. And, on top of all that, he finished as the fourth-highest scorer in the 2014-15 Champions League, behind only Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

And the early signs for Adriano in 2015-16 were positive.

In Milan’s first competitive game of the season, a Coppa Italia clash at home to Perugia, his dummy helped to play in Keisuke Honda for the opener before he scored one of his own to make it 2-0.

Then, after a dismal team display in a 2-0 defeat away to Fiorentina on Serie A’s opening day, Adriano set up the Rossoneri’s first league goal of the campaign. With a finely weighted through ball, he played in Bacca, who rounded the Empoli goalkeeper to finish with aplomb. Later in the game, he would leap to head home the second goal in a 2-1 win.

Having shown his ability to both create and take chances, he was named WhoScored.com’s man of the match with an impressive performance rating of 8.36.

Adriano’s second league match at the San Siro was as big as it gets: the Derby della Madonnina with city rivals Inter Milan. However, despite often getting behind the Nerazzurri back line, he was unable to finish any of his opportunities, and Milan lost, 1-0.

Following on from that, he would score just twice more for the Rossoneri in 2015. His match-winning header against Sassuolo and a well-taken chest and volley against Sampdoria were good strikes, but the quality didn’t make up for the sheer paucity of goals to his name.

Adriano had shown signs of striking up a good relationship with Bacca, but he soon fell down the pecking order as Mihajlovic turned instead to M’Baye Niang to partner the Colombian poacher. And the 21-year-old did an excellent job, going on to score five and set up four goals in 16 league appearances.

Following an alarmingly quick loss of form, the performances of a younger positional rival weren’t the only worry.

By January, Adriano was no longer simply seeking to justify a place in Milan’s starting lineup, but in the squad. Rumours swirled of a potential move to China, with Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) eventually confirming that Jiangsu Suning were willing to pay €14 million to secure the player’s signature, just six months after he had arrived in Italy.

That deal eventually fell through with contractual problems cited as the primary reason.

Talking to Calciomercato (h/t ESPN FC) Adriano stated:

It’s not true what people are saying. I didn‘t ask for more money as soon as I had arrived in China. The truth is I was not given any guarantee at all over my salary. They did not want to put the right figures on the contract and that is not the way I work, and that is why I have not joined Jiangsu Suning.

Back at Milan, Adriano’s attempts to return to the first team were stalled by injury problems, with a bruised rib, a leg injury and a stomach complaint keeping him out of action. When he did get back to full fitness, he scored just one further goal, a penalty against Atalanta in a 2-1 defeat.

His maiden year with the Rossoneri had become a nightmare without any sign of redemption. And there is very little reason to argue that Montella can get more out him going forward.

The new coach may not always opt for two strikers, an attacking option Milan often utilised last season with 4-3-1-2 and 4-4-2 systems. Instead, the 4-3-3 and 3-4-2-1 that he used with both Fiorentina and Sampdoria could be implemented, meaning less space for the likes of Adriano.

There are also a number of reasons to suggest that the player will not fit his new manager’s philosophy from a stylistic perspective.

Montella is known for his possession-based approach, something he is highly unlikely to compromise. He discussed this recently with the press (h/t Football Italia), saying: “What matters most are the principles of play. The club knows what my ideas are, and now even the players have understood them.”

Adriano’s primary assets are his athletic and physical qualities. Fast with an explosive burst of acceleration, deceptive strength and aerial ability, he enjoys attacking space. However in tighter situations, he tends not to flourish.

This is something backed up by Squawka’s statistics, which show that last season, he won more headers per 90 minutes than any of his striking colleagues. However, he had far fewer successful dribbles, played relatively few key passes and had a poor shot accuracy of 43 per cent.

Adriano is a direct, physical striker, but his technical limitations could cost him dearly in the hunt for a starting berth in Montella’s Milan lineup, where link-up play, precision and control in small spaces will probably be of utmost importance.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Italian Football Daily), new Zenit St. Petersburg coach Mircea Lucescu could be keen to reunite with the forward, having worked with him previously at Shakhtar.

Taking into account Adriano’s form and style of play, Milan would be wise to consider selling him should the correct offer—somewhere around his Transfermarkt.co.uk valuation of £8.5 million—come in. But, with Bacca reportedly edging closer to a move to West Ham, per Sport Mediaset (h/t Football Italia), things may not be so clear-cut.

Should the Rossoneri’s top scorer from last season move to the Premier League, Montella would be left with relatively few striking options in Lapadula, Niang and Alessandro Matri, who recently returned from a loan spell with Lazio.

If Bacca does indeed leave, Milan may look to keep Adriano as a squad player. But this should not dissuade the club from looking elsewhere for strikers more suited to the new coach’s specific tactical ideals.

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