Manchester City are being linked with a surprise £10million summer move for legendary AC Milan midfielder, Andrea Pirlo. The creative central midfielder, who has been with the Rossoneri since 2001, has become a target for Roberto Mancini, whose City side recently limped out of the Europa League in the round of 16.
Pirlo is widely-respected throughout Europe as a supremely gifted player who has almost made the deep-lying play-maker position his own. The 31-year-old midfielder has had a glittering career so far, winning Serie A and the Champions League (twice) with Milan, and the World Cup with Italy.
Having played for Brescia and Milan’s arch-rivals, Inter, before joining the Rossoneri, Pirlo has spent the last ten years at the top of European football. A superb free-kick taker, the Flero-native is equally famous for his comfortable style on the ball, his ability to maintain possession and his unerringly accurate passing.
Mancini already has a number of options in the more defensive central midfield position, with kung-fu master Nigel de Jong, Gareth Barry and Patrick Vieira currently featuring, but with Vieira looking likely to leave in the summer, the arrival of Pirlo would add some outstanding quality to the mix and promote even tougher competition for places.
However, the experienced Italian has been struggling for fitness this term, making only 10 appearances in all competitions and, at 31, Pirlo may not have that long left at the top of the game. But an Indian summer in England could prove beneficial for both player and club.
If Mancini could pull off the signing of Andrea Pirlo, it seems certain that, should he maintain his fitness, the playmaker extraordinaire would raise the standard of the City squad and bring the experience of the biggest stages that City’s younger players would most definitely benefit from.
As to whether Milan would be willing to let Pirlo go; although he has served them with distinction for many years, the Milanese giants are top of Serie A largely without his input, so if the management were particularly brutal in their approach they could decide they want to cash in on the midfielder while they are still able to demand a decent fee for him. Contract talks have stalled in recent weeks and Pirlo could finally leave the San Siro this summer, after flirting with a move to Chelsea in 2009.
It may appeal to the long-time servant of Milan himself to try his hand in the Premier League before he retires and the opportunity to join an improving City side would be an ideal chance to do that. However, Roberto Mancini will have a battle on his hands to win the player’s signature, with Juventus and Manchester United also considering a move for him.
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