Stephan El Shaarawy: Where Would the Milan Forward Have Fit at Chelsea?

Last summer was a turbulent one for AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri. After being pipped to the Serie A title by Juventus, he then lost his key duo, Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who both joined French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

Combine the gaping hole left by the duo's departure with a host of veteran stars, including Clarence Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso, also leaving, and suddenly there's a crisis. 

After Ibrahimovic's unpopular exit, Milan were desperate for a new star to bring success and joy back to the San Siro. The arrivals of Bojan, M'baye Niang and Giampaolo Pazzini, however, did little to console the Milan supporters, and the season looked bleak.

That was until Allegri decided to risk putting young forward Stephan El Shaarawy, who had only made a handful of first-team appearances, into the starting lineup against Zenit St. Petersburg.

Of course, it was a risk, but what else did the Italian have to lose?

The gamble paid dividends almost immediately, with two vital goals against Napoli to prevent defeat. By Christmas, the starlet had scored an impressive total of 16 goals in all competitions, becoming Milan's top scorer and, as a result, gained recognition from the Italy senior squad.

Allegri, despite all the criticism he received, must take credit for the rise of the former Genoa wonderkid. He gave him the confidence to go out there and show his true potential, and as well as showing faith, he preserved El Shaarawy's youthful presence in the side.

Nicknamed Il Faraone (The Pharaoh) due to his Egyptian heritage, he did seem to fade in the second half of the season, perhaps due to exhaustion, as the 20-year-old had taken part in 46 appearances, compared to just 28 in the previous season.

Nevertheless, his quality was evident, and not just to Milan's coaching staff. It wasn't too long before the Rossoneri were bracing themselves for a move for their star, with scouts from the top clubs in Europe starting to circulate.

And according to ESPN, one of those clubs was Jose Mourinho's Chelsea. Milan general manager Adriano Galliani told 7 Gold Television (via Football-Italia) the club received an offer of "over €30 million," which was rejected.

No doubt, there are plenty of reasons why the West London outfit seemed willing to sanction such a big-money move for El Shaarawy.

The Savona-born winger's versatility means he can play anywhere along the front line, as a winger or as a trequartista, and although he has experienced disciplinary issues due to his attitude in the past, his mature displays suggest that he is way past that phase.

He's been privileged to learn from the best, and perhaps that has reflected well on the youngster. His desire to play every game is certainly refreshing, and his performances are reminiscent almost of a younger Ronaldinho in that he doesn't use pace to get past defenders, but simple, intelligent play.

The ability to craft a moment of pure artistry is one of the attributes that separates him from the next level of promising players in world football.

Whether it's a free-kick, a mazy run or a stunning strike, El Shaarawy is capable of becoming a game winner, or more accurately, a player who wins points on his own.

To think that the West London club would have been able to find room for El Shaarawy, however, is baffling.

When you consider the sheer amount of talent that the Blues possess in his position, it's unthinkable that Chelsea would seek yet another attacking midfielder, especially when other positions such as a striker are the priority.

Summer signing Andre Schuerrle is likely to take up his position on the right hand side of midfield, Eden Hazard is a permanent fixture on the left and of course, Juan Mata is the first name of the teamsheet in the hole.

So just where would he have fit?

With Hazard well integrated onto the left-hand side, it would take a shock departure from Chelsea's attacking ranks to see El Shaarawy come into the side at the expense of the Belgium international.

That is still a possibility, given that some of their stars have been linked with a move away, with Kevin De Bruyne a target of Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer, according to quotes given to Ruhr Nachrichten (via Sky Sports).

German winger Marko Marin has already joined Sevilla on loan, meaning that El Shaarawy would have to dislodge Schuerrle, Oscar and Victor Moses to get a place on the right.

In any case, the money it would have taken to bring the Italian international to Stamford Bridge would mean he would have to start. And with a regular berth at the club not guaranteed, El Shaarawy was most unlikely to uproot himself and sit on the bench at Chelsea.

That being said, while he may not fit into their immediate plans, he is only 20 years of age, and there's still plenty of time for him to make a move abroad.

After his meteoric rise to the top, Il Faraone will know better than anyone that nothing is impossible in football.