Player Focus: Romagnoli Hoping to Emulate Milan Idols After Big Money Move

Alessio Romagnoli made his debut against Milan as a 17-year-old for Roma. After scoring his first goal some months later in the same game that Francesco Totti found the net for the 225th time in Serie A, matching the former Milan [and Roma] striker Gunnar Nordahl as the league’s second top scorer of all-time, the teenage centre-back told the club’s official TV channel: “I’m inspired by Paolo Maldini.” Occasionally playing left-back at the time like Milan’s former captain had so often done in his career, he couldn’t have picked a better player to study. Milan defenders seemed to represent the pinnacle for Romagnoli.

“Thiago Silva is the best in the world at the moment,” he told Sky Italia. “But for me the greatest of all-time is Alessandro Nesta.” Loaned to Sampdoria last season, it must have been a moment of great personal pride for Romagnoli to hear his coach and Nesta’s former teammate Sinisa Mihajlovic compare him with his idol. “Alessio reminds me of Nesta, but he is more technical,” claimed the Serb.

On Sunday, one of this summer’s major transfer sagas finally reached its denouement in Serie A. “Are you happy?” Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani jovially asked Roma’s director of sport Walter Sabatini outside the Grand Hotel Imperiale in Forte dei Marmi. After turning down offers worth €20m and €25m, he had finally got what he wanted. A deal closer to €30m. Only one trade involving an Italian player between Serie A clubs has been bigger since 2002. That was the one that took Nesta from Lazio to Milan all those years ago.

You might say then that Milan have indirectly figured in Romagnoli’s development, shaping the footballer he would like to become. At the very least he has aspired to be like their great centre-backs, visualising himself in their place. Honouring that tradition, which has long been dishonoured since Nesta and Silva left San Siro, must be at the forefront of Romagnoli’s mind. It is the hope every Milan fan is placing in him.

The transfer has divided opinion in the capital. Whenever a kid emerges from Roma’s academy, particularly one from the city or the surrounding area, there’s great pride and attachment. It matters to Roma fans that there are Romans in the team. Romagnoli was born in Anzio and grew up in Nettuno like Bruno Conti. He promised, together with Alessandro Florenzi, to continue the line of Roma ai Romani for a different generation after Totti and De Rossi moved on. Considered destined for greatness, selling Romagnoli would also give the impression that Roma only think in the short-term and not to the future.

Leandro Castan, for instance, is 28. He missed almost all of last season after being diagnosed with a cavernoma and even considered retirement. Before that some asked the following question: did Castan make Marquinhos and Mehdi Benatia look good or was it the other way round? One imagines Romagnoli’s departure will receive greater acceptance from supporters if Roma sign a player like Ezequiel Garay from Zenit. If Andrea Ranocchia arrives instead, don’t expect the same reaction.

Other Roma fans aren’t as bothered about the player’s exit. They have countered that Romagnoli, like Alberto Aquilani in the past, has not once appeared as conflicted about leaving Roma as Totti and De Rossi have done when presented with offers in the past. The suspicion that he is really a Lazio fan, like his idol Nesta, lingers and there’s reassurance from the academy that a replacement is already in-house. Youth team coach Alberto De Rossi, father to Daniele, believes the club has unearthed another gem in 19-year-old centre-back Elio Capradossi.

The situation is reminiscent of this time last year when Udinese were on the brink of selling Simone Scuffet to Atletico Madrid, a goalkeeper from the region who had made his debut at a younger age than Gigi Buffon and kept his place amid much hype in the first team until the end of the season. In the end Scuffet vetoed the move to Spain. He wanted to finish his studies and was of the opinion that Udine was the best place for his development. But everyone was still up in arms with Udinese. How could they seriously be contemplating allowing him to leave so soon after he emerged? Simple. Because the club regarded Alex Muret, another goalkeeping prospect, to be just as good if not better.

But let’s return to Romagnoli. Milan’s offer really was too good to refuse. Roma have got €45m from them this summer for Romagnoli and Andrea Bertolacci, both of whom were at other clubs last season either on loan or in co-ownership. Think about that for a moment. Neither were guaranteed regular first team football this season, even if it is slightly easier to foresee Romagnoli pushing himself into the side. Is it not preferable to lose them than a Miralem Pjanic or Nainggolan? To raise that kind of money - the equivalent of qualifying for the Champions League - for a couple of ‘reserves’ is comparable to the business Chelsea have been praised for in buying Romelu Lukaku, Kevin de Bruyne, Andre Schurrle and Mohamed Salah and then selling them on at a sizeable profit.  

Make no mistake about it, Roma have sold well. Really well. The balance sheet didn’t necessarily make it an obligation but it didn’t discourage the trades either. Juventus’ annual turnover is more than double [€280m] that of Roma [€131m]. Milan [€224m] also make considerably more. Inter and Napoli are ahead of them too [€168m]. Roma don’t yet own their ground and while significant strides have been made in commercial operations, it’s rather symbolic that they’re still to announce a shirt sponsor. FFP demands their respect too.

Garcia wasn’t lying when he said at the end of last season that Roma have to sell to buy and these deals, including the ones that will take derby hero Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa to Lyon and Mattia Destro to Bologna cover those that made Radja Nainggolan’s permanent, upgraded the attack with Iago Falque, Salah and Edin Dzeko and might yet strengthen the defence with Lucas Digne, Garay and Bruno Peres.

Faith in Sabatini isn’t at its highest after Roma’s last couple of windows but he remains a guy with a nose for a top class starting centre-back. He found Marquinhos, then replaced him with Mehdi Benatia and followed that with Kostas Manolas, the player Roma fans voted as their signing of last season. Davide Astori and Mapou, incidentally, were never drafted in as anything more than cover.

Roma will challenge for the Scudetto, of that there should be no doubt. Milan might do too now that they have finally addressed their most pressing need, a leftie at centre-back in a squad of right-footed [inadequate] ones.

Mihajlovic’s courtship of Romagnoli has been so single-minded as to call to mind how, soon after taking the job at Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola said: “It’s Thiago or no one.” So impressed by the 20-year-old was Mihajlovic at Samp that he simply had to have him.

No player under the age of 21 had a higher rating in Serie A last season [7.02]. Among other defenders in that category in Europe’s top five leagues, he made the most clearances [189], the second most interceptions [64] and the fourth most tackles [52]. A centre-back who likes to step out, his formative years as a midfielder in Roma’s academy mean he is comfortable where other defenders aren’t with the ball at his feet. Amid claims that Milan have overpaid, Italy Under-21 coach Gigi di Biagio has bet that “he’ll be worth double in two years.”

Nesta’s No.13 shirt awaits Romagnoli. It’s vacant after Adil Rami left for Sevilla. There were reports that, as a fan of Valentino Rossi, he would wear No.46 like he did at Roma to avoid comparisons with Nesta and the pressure of expectation. They were inaccurate and maybe it wouldn’t be such a good idea anyway. Rossi is an Interista. Upon arriving in Milan for his medical on Tuesday, Romagnoli said: “If I can I’ll take No.13.” Like Pogba requesting the No.10 at Juve, that takes personality and as a big one himself is it any wonder why, talent aside, Mihajlovic wouldn’t rest until he was reunited with his protege this summer?

Will Romagnoli live up to his price tag at Milan? Let us know in the comments below