Written by Jeroen Adriaanse (@J_Adriaanse)
Maurizio Sarri is preparing to begin his second season in charge of Napoli on the back of a successful debut campaign as the Italian tactician made his presence in Calcio – yet again – known by finishing as runners-up behind Juventus. After having already acquired Lorenzo Tonelli from Empoli, Napoli are now keen on signing Ajax striker and Poland international Arkadiusz Milik this summer.
At Ajax, Milik has been used primarily as the central striker in former manager Frank de Boer’s favoured 4-3-3 formation. Over the course of the past two seasons, the Pole netted 47 goals and recorded 21 assists in 75 games across all competitions. Especially his left foot can be considered a lethal weapon or “unique”, as one of the most respected strikers to date – Dennis Bergkamp – put it. Given his powerful left foot, the Pole likes to go ahead and try his luck from distance. Nevertheless, this habit can also be the result of the fact that Milik’s fellow teammates often fail to set him up inside the penalty area.
At times, however, Milik’s dependency on his left foot does make him too predictable, having only scored 2 out of 21 goals with his right foot last season. Also, despite his nose for the goal, the Pole has not been able to convince some Ajax fans and, occasionally, even Frank de Boer of his qualities. In line with the so-called “Ajax system”, a number nine has to act both as a playmaker and a finisher. Consequently, as a striker, you will find yourself in trouble when you are not able to live up to the expectations like Luis Suarez but especially and foremost Patrick Kluivert used to do in the past.
However, at the national team, Milik has managed to build an impressive partnership with Bayern superstar Robert Lewandowski. Manager Adam Nawalka, who also launched Milik’s career at Gornik Zabrze, allows his youngster to play just behind Lewandowski in a 4-4-2 formation. This sparks Milik’s creative abilities to create changes for himself and his teammates, while it also utilises his tendency to either drop deep between the lines or drift towards the flanks.
Unfortunately, Lewandowski found himself out of form during the Euro 2016 as depicted by the fact that he scored his first goal for Poland since November 2015 against Portugal in the quarter-finals. On the other hand, although not managing to score more than one goal either, Milik did enjoy a satisfying summer in France.
Consequently, a move to Napoli seems to be a logical next step for Milik. In Italy, as a striker, you will be primarily judged on your finishing skills, which is something Milik certainly excels in. Also, before Sarri replaced Rafael Benitez as manager at Napoli, he successfully utilised a 4-3-1-2 system at Empoli. At Napoli, however, Sarri failed to implement this system and was forced to switch to a 4-3-3 shape after his side was not able to register a single win in Sarri’s first three Serie A games in charge.
With the possible arrival of Milik, however, Sarri will have another chance to find a way to let a 4-3-1-2 system function at the Partenopei. As highlighted, the first time turned out to be a catastrophe with the duo Higuain-Gabbiadini failing to impress. However, Milik could be a very capable support striker to Gonzalo Higuain, as Milik would be tasked with a role he is used to perform while playing for Poland. However, it has to be taken into account that Higuain will most likely leave Napoli this summer, meaning that Sarri would presumably stick with his 4-3-3 shape. Then, it remains to be seen whether or not Milik would be able to fill the Argentine’s boots, who scored 36 goals goals in Italy last season.
All in all, it is difficult not to get excited about the prospect that is Milik. Certainly, because one can easily forget that he is only 22-years old, meaning that there is still room for improvement. However, at Napoli, Milik can provide the perfect foil for Higuain (if he decides to stay) to challenge Juventus’s dominance in Serie A.
