Just when things were beginning to settle after Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara’s departure, they approved the club record sale of Sandro Tonali to Newcastle United, which was their first significant decision under the new management led by Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada. This move caused another tremendous uproar.
The team opted to invest in three profiles—Reijnders of AZ Alkmaar, Ruben Loftus-Cheek of Chelsea, and Yunus Musah of Valencia—in order to rebuild the midfield. Though each has been noteworthy in their own right, the Dutchman is the most notable.
What specifically has Reijnders done to merit consideration as a summer signing this early in his Milan career? Our writer, Rohit Rajeev, investigates his remarkable integration.
Context
He needed two box-to-box players because, following a lackluster finish to the previous season, the tactical choice was made to switch from a double pivot to a single pivot and a three-man midfield.
Reijnders was among them, and he played a pivotal role in propelling AZ Alkmaar to the semifinals of the UEFA Conference League. As a player, he has already established himself as one of Milan’s finest, combining effort and skill.
The 25-year-old has nestled into the spot of left mezzala nicely and has very much made it his own, but there has been times where he has shown his versatility by playing as an attacking midfielder or even further back as a No.6.
He announced himself in front of his new fans in the best possible way, getting an assist to his name less than 11 minutes into his first Serie A start, setting up Olivier Giroud for the opener against Bologna.
From there he has gone from strength to strength and only a goal is missing from his game it seems, though there has been times when he has been in the right place with just a finish or some luck lacking.
Strengths
Line-splitting passes: Since coaches have started to lean on the collective rather than individual, coaches focus on structure while teams are off the ball whether be it pressing or whether they are ‘parking the bus’.
As a team focusing on scoring a goal the midfielders/forwards are expected to break this defensive structure down.
Reijnders can do this with his dribbling as demonstrated against Cagliari. His receive-and-spin mode, evading the Cagliari player, created space between the lines and created the opportunity for the goal.
He can accomplish it against Juventus with his passing, as he has shown in the past (and hopefully will again on Sunday). He used short passes to take advantage of the gaps between the defenders.
Having a keen sense of spatial awareness is crucial for mezzalas, as they must continually be aware of their surroundings and adjust their movements accordingly.
In what was a “hockey assist” for the Dutchman against Lazio, Reijnders demonstrates excellent awareness to receive Adli’s ball in space and then shoot it to Leao for the goal.
Utilizing space: In addition to being aware of the spaces available, a player must also understand how to create and use them for others. Like he did with Theo in the video below, Reijnders is capable of releasing players into space.
Corner routines: Reijnders’ assist in the Cagliari game showed off his strong crossing abilities, and we stressed the significance of set pieces in our analysis yesterday.
The coach may now vary up the corner routines since he received the ball and blasted it low, straight into the corridor of doubt.
Through balls: Reijnders can slip quickly through balls as he has shown against, in addition to having spatial awareness and the ability to disrupt lines with passes.
Man-oriented pressing: Each player receives a man-marking system when Pioli employs this man-oriented pressing strategy. The previous season’s derby demonstrated the risk associated with the man-oriented style, which calls for discipline and focus, as Charles De Ketelaere failed to pursue Brozovic as he raced through on goal and scored.
Pioli’s decision to start Reijnders against Bologna demonstrated why he did not want De Ketelaere on his team. Reijnders stuck with his man to the very end to mount a last-ditch challenge that would have given Bologna a shot on goal or even a goal on target.
Capacity in confined spaces: Reijnders was able to dribble out of tight situations without losing the ball, as he showed against Lazio. His near control and dribbling technique is extremely useful.
Work rate: Reijnders averages 11.3 kilometers per game in Serie A, placing him in the top 10 for minutes played. This demonstrates his availability at all times and his role as the maestro of this Milan side.
In summary
Getting a player that is versatile and omnipresent for a rumored €19 million seems like a great deal. Milan’s scouting division may have once again received a perfect score in the recruiting division.
Given that Barcelona has always valued having very skilled technical players, it makes sense that they would desire a player of Reijnders’ caliber. Nevertheless, we hope he stays successful in red and black for a very long time.
