Scouting AC Milan Transfer Target Mirko Valdifiori

In football, every day presents new rumours. And, as one of Italy’s most prestigious clubs, AC Milan are regularly involved in the daily transfer talk. The latest speculation has linked them to Napoli's Mirko Valdifiori.

Recently, the midfielder's agent Mario Giufreddi discussed the possibility of his client joining the Rossoneri, telling Il Milanista (h/t Football Italia): “If a call were to come from Milan HQ then it would certainly be appreciated. Milan are a huge club and if they should come looking for us, we’d be ready. The Milan jersey is one everybody wants to wear."

Valdifiori may well be on the Rossoneri’s radar, but the prospect of his addition deserves scrutiny. Here, we analyse the player’s qualities and assess if he would be a good signing for Milan.

Mirko Valdifiori Profile

Age: 29

Position: Defensive midfield

Height: 5’9 ½”

Club: Napoli

Country: Italy (one cap)

Career Summary

After coming through Cesena’s youth academy, Valdifiori spent much of the formative stages of his career on loan in Italian football’s third tier, firstly with Pavia and then Legnano.

In the summer of 2008 he left Cesena for good, joining Empoli, where he would become an integral player. Over the course of the following seven years, he performed admirably in Serie B, aiding the Azzurri to promotion in 2014.

Last season saw Valdifiori make his Serie A debut and, despite being a late starter—he was 28 at this time—he flourished in calcio’s highest echelon. Empoli survived comfortably and Valdifiori thrived, earning a call-up to Antonio Conte’s Italian national team in March 2015, where he was capped in a friendly against England.

His stunning ascendancy seemed complete when he followed coach Maurizio Sarri to Napoli, arriving at the Partenopei for a £4.13 million transfer fee, per Transfermarkt.co.uk. However, since the move, he has struggled to impose himself upon the first team.

Playing second fiddle to Jorginho for much of this season, Valdifiori has generally had to content himself with a place on the substitutes' bench. He has made most of his appearances in the Europa League—where he has impressed—earning an average rating of 7.46 from WhoScored.com for his showings in the competition.

Attributes

The 29-year-old’s recent career upswing can be attributed to his working with Sarri. The bespectacled tactician seeks to play fluid, vertical attacking football, something for which Valdifiori fits the bill perfectly.

At Empoli, he sat at the base of a diamond midfield, evidencing an exceptional passing range to start attacks. He was often the player his team-mates looked to for combinations and to break the opposition’s lines with piercing through balls.

When he has got on the pitch, Valdifiori has played a similar role for Napoli at the heart of their three-man midfield, where—alongside his crisp possession play—his ball control and elegant, languid style has suited the team’s objectives.

For all his qualities on the ball, however, he doesn’t offer much without it. He lacks the athletic and physical traits to impose himself upon an opponent and isn’t particularly astute defensively.

Would he be a Good Signing for Milan?

According to Squawka.com, Valdifiori makes far more successful passes and creates more chances per game than Milan’s existing first-choice central midfielders: Riccardo Montolivo, Andrea Bertolacci and Juraj Kucka. However he also contributes comparatively less tackles and interceptions.

Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images

Within Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic’s currently preferred 4-4-2 system, it’s difficult to envisage what Valdifiori would bring to the table that the likes of Montolivo and Bertolacci don’t. He is arguably better than both, but stylistically very similar.

Speaking in a press conference, per Football Italia, prior to his international debut, he stated: “My role model is (Andrea) Pirlo.” While he shares some characteristics with his idol, it shouldn’t be enough to convince the Rossoneri to pursue his signature.

Valdifiori is a talented player and would represent a quality addition to Mihajlovic’s squad. Furthermore, with a market valuation of £3.75 million, per Transfermarkt, he could well be affordable. However, the club should not spend serious money on players who are not necessities.

When the summer transfer window opens, Milan will need to draw up a shortlist of priorities. With the likes of Montolivo and Bertolacci in their ranks, Valdifiori should not be on that list.