AC Milan: Should the Rossoneri Stick or Twist with Stephan El Shaarawy?
Stephan El Shaarawy cuts a tragic figure at AC Milan these days.
The young winger has boundless potential, but injuries have curtailed his career. At peak performance two summers ago, Milan could have gotten close to €30 million for him.
The price for the 22-year-old would undoubtedly be a fraction of that now.
The last two seasons have been a struggle, and now Milan are facing the same questions that faced them in 2013 when they offloaded Alexandre Pato: Should they keep their starlet and hope that health is finally on the horizon? Or should they cut their losses and sell him for whatever they can on the open market?
Today we'll analyze arguments for both options before making a recommendation as to the team's best course of action.
The Case to Keep
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The biggest reason to keep El Shaarawy is his age—or rather lack thereof.
El Shaarawy has been in the fans' eye for so long it's sometimes a surprise to remember that he's only 22. His breakout 2012-13 season came at 20.
From a quality standpoint, it's undeniable that the kid has the touch. When deployed in his natural left wing position, he is adept at cutting inside and striking a diagonal shot across goal.
His lone goal this season, a strike against Sampdoria on November 8, was a classic example of what he can do when he's healthy and in form. After receiving a pass from inside his own half, he begins to cut inside just as he enters the attacking third before unleashing a monster shot across the face of Sergio Romero's goal. The Blucerchiati's keeper had no chance.
That is the kind of talent we're talking about with El Shaarawy. His skill set is very much like that of Cristiano Ronaldo. If he can stay on the field and round back into the form that saw him score 14 times in half a season, Milan could have a young, top-level forward to shape their forward line around.
Youth is an asset when recovering from injuries. El Sha has had bad luck the last two years, but a real recovery period and some offseason rest could allow him to finally get fit.
Time is on El Shaarawy's side here. If he uses it to his advantage and heals, the Rossoneri will benefit from it.
The Case to Dump
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While youth is the eternal ally of the injured player, El Shaarawy's injuries are approaching chronic status. His last two absences have been for practically the exact same injury. For a wide player who uses speed as a weapon, metatarsal injuries can sap effectiveness.
The earlier analogy to Alexandre Pato is apt here. Pato started brightly at Milan at an even younger age than El Shaarawy, but faded away due to injuries after 2010. Milan cut bait, and Pato has been in the Brazilian league ever since.
El Shaarawy's recent track record says that waiting for him to get healthy will take about as long as waiting for a group of Ents to make up their minds. Milan must embark on a large-scale rebuild, and barring any foreign investment they will have to do so on a budget.
El Shaarawy makes about €2 million per year—money that could be better spent on another piece of the puzzle rather than a player who barely makes it to the field.
El Shaarawy's fitness problems stemmed from being overworked—out of necessity, it must be said—during his breakout 2012-13 season by then-coach Massimiliano Allegri. It certainly didn't help that Cesare Prandelli took him to the Confederations Cup that summer. Brazil's sweltering conditions plus the quick turnaround of the eight-team tournament was an unneeded stress when a summer of rest would have been better for him.
While El Shaarawy is certainly a talented player, Milan need to clean house, and if he can't get back on the field consistently he's taking up space another more useful player could be taking.
The club need to fund the rebuild, and El Sha can still do that. Transfermarkt.com estimates his market value at €17 million—not the €27 million he was worth in June of 2013 but still a significant amount of money for an increasingly strapped club.
It may be time to get that money before another injury drives that value down further.
Verdict
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This is a tough call. El Shaarawy could still be one of the best attackers in Italy—and maybe Europe—if he arrives at his full potential. The question becomes whether he can be trusted to stay on the field.
Finding the answer to that question is worth the risk. In Milan's current financial state the chances of finding a player with comparable abilities are slim.
Counting on a player with his injury history to play a huge role in a team's rebuilding project is risky, but the reward could be quite high. The temptation will be there to sell him now, but he could either be an important on-field piece or rebuild his transfer value and allow Milan to make a major reinvestment in the team.
Keeping Il Faraone is a risk for Milan, but one that is worth taking. If it pans out, the club would have a major piece back in the fold and could be a major player in the team's rebuilding efforts.
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