GdS: Saelemaekers back at Milan to stay – Allegri’s plan for his role and what the data says

Alexis Saelemaekers is erstwhile again backmost astatine AC Milan aft a indebtedness spell and, dissimilar past year, this clip helium volition stay astatine the club.

La Gazzetta dello Sport constitute however Saelemaekers spent past play connected indebtedness astatine Roma and – contempt the wishes of the Giallorossi – Milan person plans for him. Allegri adjacent told immoderate Roma fans helium met successful Sardinia that the Belgian: “Stay with maine astatine Milan.”

With that important facet clarified, we inactive request to fig retired immoderate things. Saelemaekers has returned to play, but successful what role? Will helium beryllium a starter, oregon a luxury reserve again?

Allegri’s idea

The archetypal reply is successful Allegri’s caput but a batch volition beryllium connected the market. Let’s enactment it this way: astatine the commencement of the preseason grooming camp, it is apt that Saelemaekers volition enactment arsenic a full-back; successful the agelong run, helium could beryllium Christian Pulisic’s deputy.

Milan presently lone person Alex Jimenez arsenic a right-back, a subordinate who runs and dribbles, not precisely a diligent marker. Will a starter arrive, possibly Guela Doué? That’s the idea, but successful the meantime we volition see.

Saelemaekers, however, has ever been a winger astatine Milan. He did play arsenic a full-back for Anderlecht and Paulo Fonseca deployed him arsenic a left-back astatine 1 point, leaving Theo Hernandez connected the bench, but helium is amended further upfield.

Photos: Francesco Pecoraro + Claudio Villa/Getty Images

The competition

A examination helps to understand. Saelemaekers scored 7 goals and provided 3 assists successful the past league play with Roma. If you adhd his changeless enactment rate, you recognize wherefore Roma fans were firmly rooting for his imperishable signing.

Milan spoke with Ghisolfi successful January but an statement was ne'er reached. Full-back oregon winger, Saelemaekers volition person to onslaught and defend, make numerical superiority successful transition, beryllium recovered successful the country and retreat too. In essence, the accustomed treble job that each coaches inquire of him.

Alexis successful the past 12 months has had information successful enactment with Theo Hernandez for dribbling (Alexis is better, 0.96 implicit per game), balls recovered (Theo is better) and duels won. Jimenez, who similar him has been successful and retired often, dribbles much and is down successful different cardinal figures.

The categories: appearances (starts), minutes per game, goals/assists, chances created, penalties drawn, cardinal passes per game, duels won per game, dribbles completed per game, balls recovered per game, mean SofaScore rating.

Saelemaekers adapts and volition adapt. He speaks Flemish, English, French, Italian, and has had friends successful the 3 Italian dressing rooms helium frequented.

“I americium a Milan subordinate and I person ever liked playing for the Rossoneri,” helium said. “The important happening is to find a task wherever I tin turn and wherever I tin play. We volition spot soon.” Jimenez, Pulisic and each the others see the situation open.