Riccardo Montolivo: Made For Milan
All in all, Riccardo Montolivo is ready to move on and fulfill the prophesy of being the next Andrea Pirlo.
Calling him the heir to the maestro is not a far fetched claim. The man previously held in similar regard was Luca Cigarini, who seems to have fallen of the face of the Earth. Much was expected of him too but poor career choices led him down the wrong path. Montolivo’s destiny is dependent on his next destination.
There is little doubt over his ability or his experience but to witness the comprehensive outburst of his quality, he must move to a big club, preferably in Italy. The reason I say preferably in Italy is because Italian midfielders tend to struggle in other leagues. The longer a midfielder stays in Italy, the harder it gets for him to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League, the pace of the La Liga or the madness of the Bundesliga. Yes, there might be exceptional cases where Italian midfielders have thrived elsewhere. But those indeed, are exceptional cases.
Montolivo is headed for the exit at Florence. Andrea Lazzari moved from Cagliari to Fiorentina and Alberto Aquillani’s potential arrival throws Montolivo’s status in Florence into doubt. Milan are looking for a creative midfielder and a trequartista. Could the situation be any better for club and player? Montolivo is tailor made for Milan’s needs.
With Pirlo gone to Juventus, Milan are desperately in need of a creative midfielder. Max Allegri requires a left sided midfielder who can dictate the game, spread play and keep the ball moving across the front six. Montolivo can do that week in week out. He is also capable, if not in equal measure, to play behind the strikers.
Adriano Galiani’s task includes finding a trequartista and could possibly steal a deal by grabbing Montolivo for around €10-€12 million. Montolivo is in the last year of his contract and will not cost an arm and a leg. Given his versatility, he would add significant depth and provide alternate options to the ‘Mister’.
Monty’s options do not end with Milan. There are other clubs in need of creative midfielders. But his lack of star status will hinder a move to Chelsea, Manchester City or Manchester United. He remains a fairly unknown quantity and commercial minded clubs will seek to invest heavily on a world class player instead of smartly snapping up a crafty, rated midfielder.
The Italian is a big step away from becoming a world class name like Luka Modric which will bring the David Gill’s and Roman Abramovich’s sniffing to Italy. His marriage to Milan will provide the player the platform to truly exhibit his quality and stamp his authority on world football. He is less of a financial risk given his price tag. But he is a risk nonetheless.
If he fails to deliver in the distinguished red and black side of Milan, Galliani will be forced to explore the market for reliable options. Creative central midfielders are quickly becoming a dying breed but Montolivo holds sufficient promise to crack it at the biggest stage in club football.
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