Crespo gives warning on Okafor and his shortcoming
Argentine legend Hernan Crespo comments on the characteristics of AC Milan new signing Noah Okafor.
Noah Okafor is the sixth signing of AC Milan during the summer transfer window. The Swiss international has been a Rossoneri target for the last year but his name seemed to have disappeared from the radar a bit lately. Instead, the management of the Italian club managed to close his purchase with a blitz in recent days.
AC Milan have paid a fee of 14 million euros, add-ons included, for the services of Noah Okafor. The relatively low price was because the contract of the 24-year-old forward with Red Bull Salzburg expired in one year. Other clubs were following him as well but Giorgio Furlani came out victorious.
Okafor is a very versatile player who has been deployed as centre forward, second striker and on both wings. On paper he would be the perfect replacement for who has so far played a similar versatile role until now. Nevertheless, Noah is projected to play alongside Olivier Giroud in the centre forward role rather than Leao’s back-up on the wing.
Former AC Milan striker Hernan Crespo was interviewed by Gazzetta dello Sport on the transfer of Okafor to the Rossoneri. However, Crespo has serious doubts on Okafor’s goal scoring abilities. “I know him well, I have followed him. He is a striker who makes a lot of movements, he knows how to act on the wings and at the centre as well. However, let’s say it right away to avoid deluding the fans. Okafor is not a classic center forward and he doesn’t have many goals in his DNA. He has never played in Serie A which is the toughest league for forwards. I would be happy for Milan if he reached 10 goals.“
Crespo, who played for AC Milan in the 2004/05 season, is keen to underline that the former Red Bull Salzburg player is not a centre forward. In some ways Noah is a bet and not a certainty: “Yes he is – replies from the former Argentine star – but bets can also be won. Milan doesn’t have the budget to buy great champions, so they go to not so well-known players and try to enhance them“.
Noah Okafor has qualities that can be very useful for coach Pioli, who can use him in more than one position and therefore adopt different tactical solutions for next season. He’s not a formidable goal scorer, but the Swiss international has scored 34 goals and provided 23 assists in 110 appearances with Salzburg. These are not numbers to throw away
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