Milan’s Brahim Diaz Is Finally Fulfilling His Potential

Going into the Italian Champions League quarter final between Napoli and Milan, much of the focus, at least at player level, was on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Rafael Leao.

Both were viewed as the men who could unlock the game with a moment of ingenuity, a moment of inspired brilliance. This was reasonably, given how utterly devastating the Georgian has been this season since arriving and Leao’s continual development at Milan over the past three years.

Yet on the night, both were outstripped by another creative talent: Brahim Diaz.

The diminutive Spaniard produced the moment of the match when, in the build up to Ismael Bennacer’s striker in the 40^th minute, he evaded two tackles in the tiniest of spaces to rampage deep into Napoli territory. Diaz received the ball from Davide Calabria while facing his own goal, as Mario Rui and Stanislav Lobotka zeroed in on him, he spun and with two delicate touches, skipped past both of them and into the space they left behind.

Diaz then slid the ball into the path of Leao on the periphery of the Napoli box, who tried to return the favour by playing the ball back into his feet. Diaz let the ball run, and Bennacer was on hand to smash the ball low and hard into the net. In truth, Alex Meret could’ve and should’ve done better, but the sequence wouldn’t have happened had it not been for Diaz’s moment of brilliance.

It now feels like the former Man City and Real Madrid player is beginning to fulfil his clear potential.

Positioned on the right-hand side in Stefani Pioli’s 4-2-3-1 system, Diaz has flourished in the position. Arrigo Sacchi, not a man who usually dishes out plaudits, was equally impressed with Diaz’s work in the first leg: “He’s found his ideal position,” said Sacchi. Several of Diaz’s touches showed remarkably quick reflexes, pulling off one of Michael Laudrup’s famous moves – the croquet – wherein you shuffle the ball from one foot to the other in one rapid movement.

“I was wrong about Brahim Diaz,” said Fabio Capello, another who doesn’t give out praise easily. “I did not like him as a player, I thought he was not at Milan level. But he has now completely changed, improved. Now he makes the difference.”

Diaz was instrumental in the round of 16 against Tottenham, scoring the only goal of the tie after five minutes at San Siro with a header. He’s also been instrumental in the league in recent times, producing an assist and scoring against Napoli in the 4-0 demolition at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona 10 days prior to the Champions League first leg.

Often utilised as a number ten behind the forwards, Diaz seems more comfortable out on the right hand side, where he has move of the pitch to run into and operate from. His development in the second half of this season has been noticeable and he’s already posted his best stats since moving to Milan three summers’ ago.

But this could be his final few months in the red-and-black shirt. Milan signed Diaz on a two-year loan deal from Real Madrid in the summer of 2020, and this was extended by a further season nearly a year ago, but the Rossoneri don’t have an option to buy the player on a permanent basis, and reports suggest that Los Blancos want €25m ($27m) to let the player go.

With Milan due to pocket around €70m ($77m) from UEFA
EFA
in prize money for their run to the quarter final of the Champions League (as of writing), they could afford to keep Diaz, but it remains to be seen whether they will want to sign him for that amount. His performances have been inconsistent, yet as we enter the business end of the season, Diaz’s contributions could force the club to enter negotiations with Madrid in order to get a deal over the line.

If he produces more moments of brilliance like he did against Napoli on Wednesday, between now and the end of the season, then it’s a mere formality.