Why the Time Is Right for Nigel de Jong to Leave AC Milan

AC Milan famously allowed Andrea Pirlo to walk for free and join Juventus in 2011. Four years later, they could let something similar happen again.

This is a club that has not handled contract renewals all that well. CEO Adriano Galliani tends to wait as long as he can before he issues one, if he does at all.

It’s getting close to the end for Nigel de Jong. His deal with the Rossoneri is set to expire in the summer. And by the look of recent reports, Milan will let that happen. 

Clubs are starting to sniff the opportunity. Louis van Gaal and Manchester United are longtime admirers, and Calcio News 24 (h/t Football Italia) believes that van Gaal has specifically asked the people at Old Trafford to sign the Dutch international in the offseason.

Then there is Juventus, who took on Pirlo when he looked done and dusted and gave him a fresh start. He has scored more free-kicks with the Bianconeri than he did at Milan, and he’s going for his fourth straight Scudetto. 

Juventus could extend the same opportunity to de Jong, according to Tutto Mercato Web (h/t Football Italia), and de Jong could even replace Pirlo.

Milan don’t seem to care about history repeating itself.

There is a difference here. The Rossoneri made a miscalculation with Pirlo. They didn’t think the maestro had any more left to offer. 

But they should know exactly what de Jong offers. He’s been a consistent performer since arriving from Manchester City in 2012. He has made the most interceptions of any player in Serie A since the start of last season, per WhoScored.com, and this season, he has made the third-most interceptions per game among players with at least 11 appearances.

The Dutchman has also evolved from a pure midfield destroyer into a distributor. He can play the long and the short ball, make assists and score goals. 

Such a complete midfielder really doesn’t deserve to make less money than Philippe Mexes, but that’s exactly what’s happened at Milan. There were reports in December from Milan News (h/t Rossoneri Blog) that Milan had even offered him a contract with reduced wages. 

That’s a slap in the face.

So perhaps it’s best for de Jong to consider his options. He is 30 years old, and it doesn’t look like Milan will challenge for trophies over the next few seasons. This is a player who deserves to be on a team that fights for silverware every year, and he deserves to be on a team that respects him.

Inzaghi thinks de Jong makes too many mistakes, according to Calcio News 24. That’s rich, coming from a manager who makes mistakes every game.

De Jong often has no help in midfield. He has to clean up after reckless and lethargic midfielders like Sulley Muntari, Andrea Poli and Michael Essien. But it’s apparent that Milan identify de Jong as a problem, for whatever warped reason.

De Jong would thrive on a team with support. At Manchester United, he could link up with Daley Blind and create a solid midfield tandem. At Juventus, de Jong would look good between Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba. 

If these two clubs come knocking, de Jong's choice is easy: Leave.