Radja Nainggolan Is Roma's Driving Force, but He Would Be Perfect for Chelsea

When AS Roma took on AC Milan before the winter break, the game was seen as two of the major Serie A title contenders going head to head. With Napoli still learning to cope after Gonzalo Higuain's defection to Juventus, the duo had leapfrogged the southern club and were battling for second place in the table.

As they have all season, the Rossoneri gave a fine account of themselves. This previous post discusses their progress under coach Vincenzo Montella, and for the first hour of the clash, this young team showed just how much they have improved.

Never overwhelmed by Roma, they looked dangerous on the counter-attack and often even managed to wrestle control of possession, something few sides have done since Luciano Spalletti returned to the Italian capital.

But it was then that the game changed, and it would be the player who has arguably benefited most from the guidance of the former Zenit St. Petersburg boss who struck the decisive blow.

A long ball from Kostas Manolas picked out Radja Nainggolan, who deftly controlled it with his first touch. Immediately turning to face goal, he drove into the heart of the Milan defence, the Rossoneri standing off him only to see him use that to his advantage as he unleashed an unstoppable left-footed shot.

It curled into the bottom corner beyond goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, with the above video capturing the joy of Roma-loving commentator Carlo Zampa. His outburst was echoed in the stands of the Stadio Olimpico and by Giallorossi supporters everywhere, especially once the Belgium international's goal had sealed all three points.

A month later and Spalletti's side still sit second, four points behind leaders Juve but three ahead of the chasing pack. Their most recent outing saw them grind out another 1-0 victory, this time away to Genoa as they won exactly the type of difficult game this team has lost all too often in recent seasons.

The coach was delighted with the effort his players put forth and their newly discovered concentration, taking time to praise both when he spoke to Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia) shortly after the final whistle:

"

The team put in a great performance in terms of character. There were some little defects in the past, but today they were strengths. It was a truly determined and gritty side. I have to compliment the lads.

The whole side has to fight for every ball and it's a real pleasure to discover these qualities that at times had given me doubts. It's fundamental to maintain this spirit and this mental strength we showed today.

"

While the match saw a fine overall performance, it was not the best of Nainggolan. He looked out of sorts in his advanced role, a position he was unaccustomed to but where his impact over the past 12 months is undeniable.

Under previous boss Rudi Garcia, the 28-year-old had done well in a deeper midfield berth, but his play has gone to another level since Spalletti replaced the Frenchman on January 13, 2015.

At that point of last term, Nainggolan had yet to score a single goal, yet finished with six to register the best single-season tally of his career. He was often deployed in the same advanced midfield position he took up this past weekend, not a creative outlet for the forwards but instead destroying the play and winning back possession high up the field.

Placing a combative, tenacious player like Nainggolan so close to the opposition goal shrinks the pitch for Roma's opponents and is exactly the kind of intelligent tactical wrinkle that Spalletti is renowned for.

According to WhoScored.com, he recorded averages of 1.8 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in 2015/16, snapping into challenges before visiting teams had even managed to settle on the ball.

"I am in a more advanced role," Nainggolan noted in an interview with Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia) after that aforementioned victory over Milan. "But I'm not the 'fantasista' you're accustomed to seeing up there, as I work hard and cover the midfield, too."

Spalletti echoed those comments at a recent press conference. "His starting position is in the hole but he drops back into a defensive-midfield role when our opponents have the ball, then breaks forward again into space," the coach told reporters. "He harries the opposition and makes it hard for them to start moves."

He continues to do just that this term, as the Squawka.com graphic below highlights. Winning tackles is to be expected, but his underrated technical ability has shone in his impressive ability to complete take-ons.

Adam Digby (via squawka.com)

Comfortable on the ball, the same source indicates that he has created 25 scoring opportunities for his team-mates, the third-highest tally in the Roma squad behind Mohamed Salah (47) and Diego Perotti (30).

He is an adept passer, with WhoScored figures showing that he made 50.1 attempts last term, connecting with an admirable 85.2 percent of them. With the Giallorossi playing a more direct style this term, those numbers have fallen in 2016/17, Nainggolan attempting to pick out a Roma player 37.9 times per game.

Linked with moves away for the past few transfer windows, the loudest rumours linked him with Chelsea in the summer, and according to The Times (h/t Anthony Chapman of The Sun), they will renew their efforts to sign him this month.

ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

Seen as an ideal addition by manager Antonio Conte, a bid for Nainggolan would be boosted by the £60 million generated by the recent sale of Oscar, and it is easy to see why the former Juve boss is so infatuated with the player.

He could deploy him in the same manner he used Arturo Vidal in Turin, tearing into opponents and embodying the manager's own tenacious drive and will to win. A frightening prospect for Chelsea's opponents, Nainggolan's own family echoed that viewpoint last week in an interview with the Gazet van Antwerpen.

"I have made it loud and clear on numerous occasions that he should go to Chelsea," his half-brother Manuel Noboa said (h/t Calciomercato.com). "The Premier League is the ideal environment for his temperament."

That is true, the combination of the English style of play alongside Conte's own tactical and philosophical approach making a seemingly ideal landing spot for the fiery Belgium star.

However, he also appears to have that in the Italian capital, where Spalletti has embraced his approach and made it a real weapon for Roma. After seeing Miralem Pjanic move on in the summer, the Giallorossi will not want to lose another star midfielder so quickly if they retain title ambitions of their own.

But Nainggolan does not appear to be the sentimental type. If he wants to go to Stamford Bridge, then he almost certainly will, despite fans in the Curva Sud hoping to see him at the Stadio Olimpico for a long time to come.

They have become a grittier, more determined side with him on the field, one finally appearing capable of challenging Juventus for the Scudetto. It would be a cruel blow if Conte was the man who robbed them of that by signing Nainggolan this month.