Fabrizio Romano and, quite surprisingly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, have both confirmed that Mario Mandzukic will be an AC Milan player. The veteran European striking duo brings leadership and fire to the young club and makes the Rossoneri‘s goal of winning the Scudetto more and more realistic.
Ibrahimovic announces to Sky Sport: “Mario Mandzukic has signed his contract, he’s joining AC Milan… so we’ll be in two to scare the opponents!” 🔴⚫️ #Ibra #ACMilan @PeppeDiSte
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 18, 2021
Mario Mandzukic Brings Fire to Table-Topping AC Milan
Mandzukic’s Juventus Stint
The last season that saw consistent playing time for Mandzukic was the 2018/19 season. At the time, he played for Juventus. In 25 matches he scored nine goals and provided five assists. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but more than enough to be a valuable bench option.
It’s important to keep in mind how important Mandzukic was to Massimo Allegri’s Juventus squads. They won the Scudetto every single year and made a Champions League final appearance. Although Juventus fell 4-1 in that final against Real Madrid, Mandzukic was the lone goal scorer.
He’s vastly experienced in Serie A, and for one of the best clubs in recent memory. There’s no doubt that he knows how the game flows in Italy and will prove to be a valuable asset to Milan.
What Mandzukic Brings
First of all, Mandzukic will compete for the back-up striker position with Rafael Leão. However, Leão can also play well on the wing, which will surely allow Mandzukic to see more time on the pitch.
Mandzukic is a ball hawk who never shies down from the competition. He’s a fantastic option to have come off the bench to score a needed goal or to solidify a win. Also, he can see plenty of time in Europa League as Ibrahimovic rests up for Serie A. Although he hasn’t seen consistent time in Europe for nearly two years, he’s still 34-years-old. Ibrahimovic didn’t miss a step coming back to Europe after his stint in the MLS.
The Croatian is also a leader. This showed at Juventus, and he became a fan-favourite quite quickly. This Milan squad is the youngest in all of Italy and will benefit from more veterans on the squad. Milan has shown great perseverance throughout the whole season, a major factor as to why they’re first place in Italy, and Mandzukic’s “never say die” mentality will prove to be a fantastic boost.
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