Why Andrea Bertolacci Will Be AC Milan's X-Factor in Remaining Months of 2015/16

AC Milan’s signing of Andrea Bertolacci was a bold move.

The Italy international joined the club from Roma for the sizeable sum of £15 million at the start of this season and was seen as an important component in Sinisa Mihajlovic’s Rossoneri revolution.

However, while Mihajlovic’s side are now on course for progress, Bertolacci’s debut year at San Siro has so far proved a failure. The £15 million gamble has yet to pay off.

Part of the player’s inability to live up to expectations is perhaps to do with the deal itself. Transfermarkt.co.uk state that the fee Milan paid for Bertolacci was £3.75 million over his market value, something that led to debate around whether he was a worthwhile addition to the squad considering the expensive outlay.

Then, just as Bertolacci was beginning to find his feet with his new club, he suffered a spate of injury issues. Before the halfway mark of the season, he had endured four separate spells on the treatment table due to various knee- and hamstring-related problems.

That meant that, not long after putting in arguably his finest performance in a Milan shirt away to Torino last October, he was unavailable for selection. Out of the team through no fault of his own, the 25-year-old was forced to watch on helplessly.

In his absence, Milan underwent tactical change. One of the issues behind Bertolacci’s poor form early on was that he was fitting in to a new system. Previously with Genoa, he had provided a lustrous sheen to a fluent, passing side in the centre of a 3-4-3. With Milan, he was initially asked to play as an outside midfielder in a diamond.

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The strange new tactical surroundings took a bit of getting used to; indeed it wasn’t until Mihajlovic adapted and implemented a 4-3-3 that Bertolacci hinted at living up to his transfer fee. While he was on the sidelines, however, his coach brought about yet more change in the form of a 4-4-2 formation.

For the first time since he had joined the club, Milan were using a system that incorporated two, not three, central midfielders. But Bertolacci wasn’t part of it. As he recuperated, Juraj Kucka and Riccardo Montolivo were working on a partnership that has gradually grown in effectiveness.

Montolivo—the team captain—has enjoyed a mild resurgence in form since Mihajlovic began deploying him in a deeper role. Meanwhile, Kucka has thrived as the dynamic, box-to-box midfielder. Their partnership has a yin and yang to it that has been integral to Milan’s improved results of late.

The combination between Montolivo and Kucka, along with Bertolacci’s return from injury, has seen an old uncertainty resurface; that is: Where exactly does Bertolacci fit in?

He isn’t naturally a defensive midfielder, and he isn’t as energetic a presence as Kucka. Indeed it is his creativity that sets him apart from most ordinary players in his position. But that asset has been suppressed since moving to Milan.

In his final season with Genoa, Bertolacci recorded eight assists and six goals in 33 league appearances. This season, however, he has just one of each from 17 Serie A games. Compared with last season, he has also completed fewer passes, created fewer chances, played the ball forward less and taken on fewer opponents, per Squawka.com.

Prior to Milan’s most recent fixture against Udinese, Giacomo Bonaventura pulled out with an injury. As such, Mihajlovic brought Bertolacci back into the starting lineup, pairing him with Montolivo and pushing Kucka to a wide-left position. The Slovakian was isolated as Milan, disappointingly, drew 1-1.

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Mihajlovic made his thoughts on Bertolacci clear prior to the game, telling reporters (h/t Calciomercato.com) in his pre-match press conference: “I consider him a starter, but he needs to make the most of his chances.”

However, in order for Bertolacci to maximise his own potential, Milan must first figure out how and where to play him.

His technical qualities would be better suited to a role involving less movement and more passing. As such, some experimentation may be required. Bertolacci may have to adapt to a deeper-lying midfield berth, where his sophisticated touch could be protected by Kucka’s physical gifts. That might mean dispensing with Montolivo temporarily, but it could be worth it.

Bertolacci was signed as a difference-maker. He has become a squad player. If Mihajlovic can get him back to his best, Milan will be in a much healthier position to realise their top-three ambitions. Perhaps then the £15 million gamble to sign him won't seem quite so bold.