Why Nigel De Jong's Decision to Stay Is a Huge Boost for AC Milan
For many months, Nigel de Jong looked set to leave AC Milan. He and his agent wouldn’t immediately sign a contract extension. Time went on.
The fear was very real: Milan had already lost one star to free agency (Andrea Pirlo), and history was ready to repeat itself.
The renewal was surprising in many ways. He had every option to leave. Manchester United reportedly had interest in De Jong, per Sky Sports, and he could have easily slotted into their lineup.
A second straight year without top Champions League football could have scared him away from Milan. After all, he is 30 years old and is entering the latter stages of his career, and a player of his class doesn’t have time to waste on a club without proper ambitions.
De Jong was among the top five players in Serie A in interceptions
Beyond that, he was the perfect cover for a weak defence. De Jong would make the necessary crunching tackles, even if a yellow card was on the way, and he would run back to alleviate pressure from an onrushing attack.
But he can help out the strikers too and join his own attack. His passing percentage is always around 90 per cent. Last campaign he scored three goals—one of his best single-season totals.
Without De Jong in the starting XI last season, Milan had a mediocre 3-2-4 record. His absence was felt.
Re-signing with Milan means keeping a protagonist on the team. But it also hints at something else, perhaps more important: the semblance of a real plan at Milan, just as De Jong had hoped. Staying with the club is a vote of confidence. It’s probably a more telling sign than any Milan will make this season.
Had they lost De Jong as well as Geoffrey Kondogbia, the 22-year-old midfielder who signed with rivals Inter last week, then Milan would have been on the verge of a complete rebuild. De Jong’s stay makes the loss of Kondogbia a little easier to tolerate, as they are both similar players in physique and style.
The Dutchman is also one of the few leaders on this struggling side. He has a great rapport with the fans, making sure he salutes them after every goal he scores. Mostly, he is just the personification of the Milan spirit, with an undying commitment to the colours no matter the situation.