Scouting Reports on Sevilla Quintet Amid Unai Emery-Milan Links

According to the Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), Sevilla manager Unai Emery, who is being lined up as Filippo Inzaghi’s potential successor at Milan, has begun to prepare a preliminary transfer shortlist featuring five players he currently coaches at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Sevilla’s charge to fifth place in La Liga has been led by Emery’s quintet of transfer targets which includes centre-forward Carlos Bacca, midfielders Vicente Iborra and Grzegorz Krychowiak and wingers Aleix Vidal and Vitolo.

The former Valencia boss has made it clear that he’s aiming to sign players familiar with his brand of football. Let's take a look at how each aforementioned player fits into the system Emery may bring to the San Siro.

Breaking Down Emery's Favored 4-2-3-1 Formation

Misha Japaridze/Associated Press

Throughout his five-year tenure in the Spanish top flight, Emery has largely employed the 4-2-3-1. 

Many will be familiar with said formation, as it's one of European football's most popular systems and an incredibly effective one if used properly—look no further than Jose Mourinho's Chelsea setup, the double pivot's apotheosis.

For those who aren't, here's a rudimentary summary: Two holding midfielders shield a traditional four-man defense, with a lone centre-forward receiving support from two wingers and a central attacking midfielder. 

One feature of the 4-2-3-1 Milanisti will love to see is the inclusion of a trequartista, which should mean major minutes for in-form Riccardo Saponara in the event he returns to the San Siro. 

Emery fields Vitolo, whom we'll touch on shortly, as an inverted winger on the left, so we can expect to see his wingers move centrally and get the ball onto their favored shooting foot.  

The holding midfielders play much closer to the defense than any of Inzaghi's midfield triumvirate do; that defensive focus bodes well for Milan's leaky back line. 

And therein lies the prime benefit to Emery's system: By parking defensive midfielders in front of the centre-back pairing, the manager makes beating the defense a much greater ask. 

Because Emery's players will often sit deeper, a good part of Sevilla's attack comes from the counter, and it would be refreshing to see Milan break and put pressure on defenses, utilizing speed and open space to graft scoring chances.

Convincing the former Valencia boss to leave the Sanchez Pizjuan and La Liga will be difficult—he's coached his team to consecutive Europa League berths—but the fiery tactician would be a more influential signing than any player the Rossoneri may hope to add this offseason. 

Carlos Bacca, CF

The Colombian hitman has been on a prolific run this season, netting 17 goals through 29 matches, tied for third-best in La Liga with Neymar, just behind world-beaters Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. 

Per WhoScored.com, Bacca is a pure goal-poacher, and while he only averages two shots per game, he scores on a ridiculous 29.3 percent of his shot attempts. 

Curious about the conversion rates of the other forwards on top of the La Liga scoring charts? Ronaldo's 6.4 shot per game put him at a 21.6 percent conversion rate, Messi comes in at 23.0 percent and his Barca teammate Neymar converts 24.3 percent of his chances. 

In other words, give Bacca a shot and, among Spanish first-division footballers, he's probably your best bet to hit the back of the net. 

His scoring numbers are a bit inflated by virtue of being Sevilla's penalty-taker, but the same holds true for many of the world's top finishers. 

Bacca's goalscoring exploits have earned him a reputation as one of Spain's top centre-forwards and a spot on the formidable Colombian national team, where he makes up a fearsome offensive contingent which also features Radamel Falcao, Jackson Martinez and James Rodriguez, to name a few. 

Not just a goalscorer, Bacca's five assists are a particularly impressive mark, tied for second among strikers in La Liga with Valencia's Paco Alcacer and Atletico Madrid's Mario Mandzukic. 

He possesses good pace, is strong on the ball and really is a modern striker capable of leading the line on his own. 

At 28 years old, Bacca has probably hit his peak as a footballer and is valued at €20 million by Transfermarkt.  

If Sevilla wishes to sell the Colombian, Milan won't be the only club interested, and his fee will only rise to a point at which the Rossoneri would likely balk. 

While he's a lethal finisher, spending a huge portion of whatever transfer kitty the board disburses on a 28-year-old probably isn't advisable. 

Grzegorz Krychowiak, CM

Sevilla's player of the 2014-15 season has been none other than summer signing Grzegorz Krychowiak. 

With stellar averages of 3.4 tackles and 3.0 interceptions per league game, it's nearly as hard to round Krychowiak as it is to pronounce his name. 

Like midfield partner Vicente Iborra, the 25-year-old Polish international is fantastic in the air, averaging 3.8 aerial duels won per match and making it very difficult for opponents to win headers in the center of the park. 

While Krychowiak's robust tackling has made him one of Spain's top holding midfielders, he's been a bit error-prone, picking up 10 yellow cards, tied for the sixth-highest total in the Spanish first division. 

Aside from his penchant for finding his way into the referee's book, there's little negative to say about Krychowiak's La Liga debut. 

Far from a regista, playing searching diagonals over the top isn't in Krychowiak's wheelhouse, despite his efforts to prove the contrary. 

He doesn't offer much going forward—though his two goals and one assist through 24 matches deserve mention—but Krychowiak does exactly what Emery needs him to do: break up the flow of play. 

His 80.2 pass-completion percentage isn't all that high, but it's understandable given the high-risk, high-reward style that Emery emphasizes—no Sevilla player who has played in more than one match this season is completing more than 82 percent of his passes. 

Other European clubs will surely have taken note of Krychowiak's breakout season, so the prospect of Milan's signing him for Transfermarkt's €12 million valuation is unlikely. 

Vicente Iborra, CM

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Standing at an imposing 6'3" (1.95 m), Iborra dominates the air, averaging an amazing 4.3 aerial duels won per game, good for fifth-best in La Liga. 

That aerial ability alone makes him a perfect transfer target for Milan, considering their shambolic defending against set pieces. 

Aside from being a header-winning savant, Iborra is a well-rounded footballer, adding three goals in 18 matches from his holding-midfield position. 

His defensive numbers have dipped this season, as his 1.9 tackles and one interception per game this season show a bit of regression as compared to last term, when he averaged 2.6 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game. 

Much of that regression is a direct result of Iborra's ceding some of those more attractive defensive statistics to midfield partner Grzegorz Krychowiak, so it'd be unfair to say the Spaniard is on the decline. 

With Nigel de Jong seemingly heading for the exit door, the Rossoneri will have a massive void to fill and the combination of Iborra and Krychowiak would significantly lessen the blow from De Jong's impending departure. 

At 27 years old, Iborra is in the prime of his career, and Transfermarkt's €7 million valuation is a fair price for a week-in, week-out starter. 

Aleix Vidal, RW

The €5 million-rated right-winger is an absolute speed merchant, bursting past his markers with regularity. 

Vidal was brought in from Almeria last summer after racking up six goals and three assists and appearing in all 38 of Almeria's league matches.

Almeria staved off the drop last season in large part due to the efforts of Vidal and then-Liverpool loanee Suso—now of Milan. After parting with their two standout wingers, the Andalusian club has taken a step back and are mired in yet another relegation battle. 

Under Emery, Vidal has deputized as a right-back but has seen most of his appearances come on the right wing, where he's notched three goals and five assists in 15 matches. 

While Vidal creates loads of space with his speed, he's a wasteful crosser; that remains the biggest obstacle at this point in the 25-year-old's career. 

Nevertheless, you can't teach speed, and his innate gift makes him a great fit in Emery's counter-attacking system. 

With Milan's wing depth—most notably the presence of Vidal's former teammate Suso—that money could probably be invested elsewhere. 

He'd be a nice depth option, but until Silvio Berlusconi sells the club—which will hopefully bring with it significant investment in the on-field product—Milan must focus on plugging its holes before adding rotation players. 

Vitolo, LW

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Sevilla’s second-leading scorer has been ever-present in Emery’s lineups, registering six goals and a couple of assists in 23 La Liga contests.

While you won’t often see him getting to the byline and delivering a pinpoint cross, perhaps by virtue of being deployed as an inverted winger, Vitolo will always look to cut inside, get into the box and dust off a chance.

Per WhoScored, his notable offensive numbers—1.2 shots per game, 1.2 dribbles per game and 0.5 key passes per game—aren’t particularly impressive, but the 25-year-old has shown some defensive grit en route to averaging two tackles per game.

You'll find some of Vitolo's earlier work here. Despite being right-footed, notice just how many times he finishes with his weaker left foot. 

Transfermarkt.com values the 25-year-old at €7 million, and while he’s excelled in Emery’s system, given Milan’s wing depth, Vitolo shouldn’t be the first Sevilla player brought in.

Stephan El Shaarawy (should he ever return to full fitness) can aptly fill Vitolo's role on the left side of Emery's 4-2-3-1. Giacomo Bonaventura is another option, while starlet Hachim Mastour also projects to be a left-winger. 

Statistics, as always, are courtesy of WhoScored.com.