A year in football is a whole lifetime. For better or worse, anything can happen, and that "anything" is capable of turning a career upside down.
Malick Thiaw was well on his way. A virtually designated starter, just over a year ago. Summer 2023: at a certain point, it became clear that the starting central defensive partnership would consist of him and Fikayo Tomori.
This was thanks to the previous season, the rapid, almost magical growth of Malick. He had stood out by taking advantage of Alessio Romagnoli's departure the season before, Kjaer’s advancing age, and Kalulu's inconsistent performances.
Matteo Gabbia was merely a prospect at that time, to be sent elsewhere to gain experience, and Pellegrino was in the same boat.
It seemed like the perfect duo. Tomori as the leader, strong with his overall experience and particularly at Milanello, where he had also won the Scudetto. Thiaw was the rising star, with obvious qualities: solid in marking and particularly good with timing, not neglecting his decent ball skills that contributed to starting plays.
But above all, he had significant room for improvement ahead of him. All these qualities still exist; it’s just a matter of figuring out the best way to bring them back to the surface. Especially since Malick’s career has reached a crossroads at Milan: if the club believes in him, Fonseca needs to get to work and shake off the rust from his legs and mind; otherwise, it’s time to monetise well, as we’re talking about a 23-year-old with solid potential and a contract expiring in 2027.
AC Milan's match against Udinese could be Thiaw's opportunity.
This summer, he seemed a step away from leaving, headed for Newcastle, to reunite with former teammate Tonali. Then the bianconeri (Juventus) shifted their attention elsewhere, especially since Milan was asking for 40 million euros for Malick.
Is he worth 40 million euros now?
In a strictly current assessment, no. In overall terms, definitely yes. However, Fonseca needs to reintegrate him, even though it will be tough. Not so much for Malick, a serious player who works hard and knows he must recover lost ground; but rather because of the competition. So far this season, he has been at the bottom of the pecking order: four matches on the bench between August and October.
From being a starter to the last choice in fourteen months. The ball is strange, it takes unpredictable turns, so who knows. However, Gabbia has become a cornerstone, an example for the entire locker room and for tactical interpretation. Even the newcomer Pavlovic, though he has been out for several matches due to tactical choices, has performed well on average. Ironically, the most inconsistent has been the “senator” Tomori, who, however, remains the most experienced in defense. In short, there’s a need to swim upstream like salmon. So far this season, we’re stuck at 90 minutes against Torino, the opening match of the season with a shocking own goal. A grueling 2-2 draw in which Thiaw was rated the worst player on the field (4 according to Gazzetta), part of a “gallery of horrors” that labeled him as “concerning.”
Then a bench role against Parma, followed by an ankle sprain that caused him to miss matches against Lazio, Venezia, and Liverpool. The injury situation is a sore point because Malick has been unable to find continuity, just as happened last year. It was a rather serious injury—a tendon injury to the left hamstring during Milan-Dortmund—that sidelined him for two and a half months, meaning fourteen matches.
Upon his return, even though he was still used by Pioli in the starting eleven several times, he was no longer the sparkling player of the first half of 2023. Now Malick is once again playing catch-up; Fonseca will soon give him a chance (against Udinese, or at the latest against Bruges or Bologna), and then in June, we will take stock: restart together or cash in?
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport
