Could AC Milan's Stephan El Shaarawy Hold His Own in the Premier League?

Stephan El Shaarawy would have no problems in the Premier League. The decision to leave AC Milan is harder to make.

After two years of injury problems in Italy, El Shaarawy may want a new beginning abroad. His brother and agent, Manuel, told Sky Sport Italia last month about his desire to see Stephan play in England (h/t Football Italia).

And what a sight that would be. El Shaarawy not only has the pace to succeed in the Premier League, but he also has the creative instincts to dictate play. 

El Shaarawy would have more space to exploit in the Premier League, and his quick pivots would leave defenders in the dust. He has the off-the-ball movement to stump opponents and the versatility to play on the wing or in the hole as an attacking midfielder. 

Imagine him on Arsenal. He would thrive in an environment with so many other attacking players. 

At Milan, he is often the lone man tasked with pulling all the right strings. And he can perform as the sole source of offence, as we saw when he scored 19 goals during the 2012-13 season.

But Arsenal play a much more dynamic game, and it’s not a mystery why El Shaarawy seems to like them over other English clubs.

Per David Amoyal, English correspondent for Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio:

"

@MikegoonerMike @18DialSquare86 from what I know El Shaarawy really likes Arsenal

— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) May 26, 2015"

Imagine the exchange between players like Mesut Ozil, El Shaarawy and Alexis Sanchez. All three would be moving parts in a completely unpredictable attack. El Shaarawy would have so much support. He would have no problems scoring and setting up goals. 

But England is much more unforgiving than Serie A with its schedule and style of play. The tackles come harder, and the games come quicker. It may not be wise just yet for a player who has managed only 24 league games over the past two years to jump into the harsher waters of the Premier League.

He most definitely has the talent and the game to make it, but it’s all so fragile right now. He needs a good string of games, and he may not get that immediately in England. Foreign players usually need a year to adapt to England anyway—unless you’re Alexis Sanchez—and El Shaarawy simply cannot afford to lose any more time in his career.

Luca Bruno/Associated Press

There is also the feeling that he cares about Milan. He is not the kind of person to give up so quickly. All the injuries show just that. He never lost the smile on his face. To leave for England now is to concede his time with the Rossoneri altogether. It’s an admission of failure of sorts. It’s not something El Shaarawy has ever done.

Milan also don’t have much of a reason to sell El Shaarawy. They could have made a much bigger profit on him after the World Cup, but they reaffirmed their belief in the player. Now, his stock is at its lowest, and his wages at €2.4 million, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Rossoneri Blog), are not much of a hindrance. There is still time for him to come good and realize his potential.

“My brother has been at Milan for four years and grown so much both physically and technically,” brother Manuel told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Daily Mail).

And he can grow even more.