GdS: Arsenal and Italy watching closely – Bartesaghi’s rapid rise continues

Davide Bartesaghi had a dream Sunday afternoon, scoring his first two goals for his boyhood team, with only a win at the end missing.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, his two goals against Sassuolo were reminiscent of Theo Hernandez, who became the defender with the most goals in Milan’s history just under a year ago. For the first he made an instinctive run at the far post, and for the second he finished with the composure of a striker.

Bartesaghi surprisingly took up Theo’s legacy, quickly leapfrogging Pervis Estupinan in Massimiliano Allegri’s pecking order, the summer signing who cost nearly €20m. Previously he had only had glimpses of first team football, under Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceiçao.

Rapid rise

Allegri has definitively established him as a wing-back, giving him the ability to move up and down the flank, as he did with the two goals, firstly latching onto Loftus-Cheek’s low cross, and then firing in Nkunku’s feed.

Photo by AC Milan

Bartesaghi can be a full-back in a back four too, perhaps even a centre-back in a back three. He was eyed in that position by Arsenal, who would have gladly brought him to London already this summer. It will be more complicated to lure him away from Milan now.

A young player, who came through the youth academy, a Milan fan since childhood, and an Italian: he is a precious treasure for the future as well. In the meantime, Davide is focused on the present, which from the U21s could soon also bring a call-up for the senior national team.