“Right now it’s hard to let him rest”. These words from Paulo Fonseca to evoke Youssouf Fofana in recent weeks still say a lot about the impact of the Frenchman in his new club. Arriving at AC Milan this summer from AS Monaco, the 25-year-old midfielder obviously knew where he was putting his two feet: with a European giant, with tradition and an immutable track record. He also knew the height of the demands that would await him, especially with the status of French international and vice-world champion which covers him. However, since August, the Milanese does not seem to succumb to the dizziness of expectations and a first transfer abroad.
Match after match, he continues his rise in power and the Italian press recognizes his untouchable character in Paulo Fonseca’s group. “He is the most essential element of this Milan team for Fonseca. The Frenchman is the most used player in the squad among the outfield players with 1381 (1606 now, editor’s note) minutes, shared between the championship and the Champions League. A workaholic with iron lungs who in just a few months took the reins of the Rossoneri midfield, guaranteeing balance, physical prowess, running, but also quality.wrote Gazzetta dello Sport about him recently.
A return to the Blues in March?
At the end of September, he had already signed a more than honorable performance during his team’s victory in what is considered the match not to lose, against Inter Milan (1-2), before repeating such a performance ten days later despite the defeat against Leverkusen (1-0). “In the structure of the game, Youssouf Fofana is the most important player. He’s the engine of the team.”Paulo Fonseca declared about him the next day. Since then, a real connection seems to be born with Reijnders, the other inexhaustible midfielder who has worked wonders since the start of the season. It is also partly thanks to the compensations and the activity of the Frenchman that the Dutchman can express himself so freely in the last third of the field.
And even if Fofana does not score as much as his counterpart, several successes of his team also bear his signature. For example, he had eclipsed his former teammate at Monaco, Aurélien Tchouameni, during Milan’s victory against Real Madrid in the Champions League (1-3), before returning to the role of decisive passer this week during the success of the AC Milan against Red Star Belgrade (2-1). His gem for Rafael Leão has also become a constant, since of his 4 caviars delivered this season, three were intended for the Portuguese. “Fofana is a very important player. He’s a player I get along very well with. He knows that when I have space, I make that call. The ball was perfect, we just had to control it well and shoot quickly because the goalkeeper was coming”greeted the Portuguese.
For its part, the Gazzetta dello Sport also praises the versatility of Fofana, capable of turning into a creator when the situation lends itself to it. “Fofana is not only a sentinel who acts as a breakwater for the defense, he is also a player capable of building and sending his teammates towards goal. Three assists already this season, including two in a row against Slovan Bratislava and Empoli in one week. A Swiss Army knifewhose sharpening could benefit the French team. In November, he had in fact lost his place with the Blues, which was perhaps also a way for Deschamps to do him a favor after having continued without a break. But by stabilizing at such heights, there is little doubt, Fofana should quickly renew the thread of his history in selection.
