SCOUT REPORT: A review of Chelsea defender Nouwen’s loan spell at AC Milan | OneFootball

Chelsea’s Dutch international defender Aniek Nouwen spent the second half of this season out on loan with the player having joined Italian club AC Milan back in January.

The 24-year-old centre-back remains a piece of the long-term jigsaw at Chelsea but the South West Londoners determined that the temporary move to Italy was important for Nouwen’s immediate development.

How did the defender perform during her time with AC Milan? FAWSL Full-Time have reviewed the data and here is a summary of her loan spell.

Nouwen an important player for La Rossonere

After signing for AC Milan, Nouwen made her debut for the club as a substitute in a 3-0 victory at Sampdoria the following day. The centre-back went on to play in 11 of AC Milan’s 13 Serie A Femminile fixtures during her time at the club, starting 10 of those matches.

Nouwen helped AC Milan to record a third-place finish in the Serie A Femminile table for the second season in a row while they also reached the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia Femminile.

The defender left the club at the end of her loan spell having made 15 appearances in a red and black shirt in all competitions.

Nouwen addition brought defensive improvement

Prior to Nouwen’s arrival, AC Milan had kept just three clean sheets in 15 Serie A Femminile matches, an average of one shut-out every five games. The Italian club recorded four clean sheets in the 11 league games that Nouwen was involved in, an improved clean sheet average of one every 2.75 games.

Nouwen helped AC Milan to collect 20 league points, 45.5% of their overall tally. The defender featured in 42.31% of the Italian club’s total league games.

Strengths and weaknesses

Nouwen’s performances for AC Milan highlighted some of her strengths, as well as some areas to work on back at parent club Chelsea.

Nouwen made 23 defensive blocks, the fourth-highest of any AC Milan player during the 2022/2023 season. Nouwen ranked top in terms of shots blocked (16) despite only playing in 11 Serie A Femminile matches. The centre-back also completed 43 clearances, the fourth-highest in the AC Milan squad.

The defender’s weakness was tackling dribblers. She put in 10 challenges but won just three, a 30% success rate. Nouwen won 11 tackles, one tackle every 81 minutes and 55 seconds. A number of Nouwen’s AC Milan teammates had greater success with their challenging and tackling.

Nouwen signed a long-term contract extension with parent club Chelsea in January. The player will be looking to continue to grow over the course of the next two seasons and prove that she can be one of the very best defenders in world football.

Statistics: Soccerway / FBREF