GdS: From Laxalt to Dest – Milan’s failed attempts to find Theo Hernandez’s deputy

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·13 November 2024

GdS: From Laxalt to Dest – Milan’s failed attempts to find Theo Hernandez’s deputy

Being a supporting actor is a tough role, but one position where AC Milan have struggled to find a reliable deputy is at left-back.

Since Theo Hernandez in the summer of 2019, various players have tried to fill the role as back-up to the Frenchman but they have almost all failed. La Gazzetta dello Sport have gone through each one.

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Ricardo Rodriguez

Before Theo’s arrival at the Rossoneri, Rodriguez was the regular starter on the left side of the defence with 88 games played in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. The arrival of the Frenchman was his condemnation.

The Swiss played the first four games as a starter in the 2019-20 season, before finally losing his place to the new signing from Real Madrid and future captain of Milan. Rodriguez was not taken into consideration by Stefano Pioli, his last appearance was the 5-0 loss in Atalanta, then he went to PSV.

Diego Laxalt

Laxalt, perhaps, fared even worse. He was the deputy of the deputy, having landed in Milan in 2018 for a whopping €19m to be Rodriguez’s back-up, making 29 appearances and most of them as a substitute.

Theo’s arrival in 2019 changed the plans: Laxalt went on loan Torino for a few months, then made a handful of appearances under Pioli, before heading to Celtic and ending up now settled at Dynamo Moscow.

Diogo Dalot

Dalot had his positive moments having arrived in October 2020 on loan from Manchester United. He played 12 times at left back in place of Theo, also scoring in a victory against Verona in March 2021. With him on the left in place of the Frenchman, Milan lost only once, at home against Sassuolo.

He would close the 2020-21 season with 33 appearances, two goals and three assists, then he would return to Manchester. He has grown a lot and is now a regular starter for the Red Devils, with Ruben Amorim about to arrive.

Fode Ballo-Toure

Ballo-Touré by his characteristics should have been a worthy replacement for Theo Hernandez: fast, energetic and powerful on the flank. The result was that he showed none of the aforementioned.

In his two seasons as a deputy to Theo – 2021-22 and 2022-23 – he made just 26 appearances with only one goal (albeit decisive) against Empoli. Pioli often preferred Florenzi or Kalulu to him, his deal expires in June and he is with the Futuro after a failed loan to Fulham.

Alessandro Florenzi

Speaking of Florenzi, the Italian probably did the best on the list. He joined in the summer of 2021 and played two games as a left-back in his first season and 12 last season, where he was one of the protagonists in the victory over Newcastle in the Champions League.

Pioli even kept him at left-back when there was a centre-back crisis and Theo had to be used as a left-sided central defender, an experiment that led to victories against Frosinone, Sassuolo and Empoli. However, the issue with Florenzi has been injuries: three operations on his knee since arriving.

Sergino Dest

Dest has spoken honestly about his time at Milan before: “I wasn’t ready. Pioli only spoke Italian, I couldn’t communicate with him. I needed an interpreter. Being on loan from Barcelona, I wasn’t motivated to learn the language.”

He made 14 appearances in his only season with the Rossoneri (2022-23), two of which were as a left-back. In the first, the American replaced Theo in the 2-2 draw in Lecce at the start of the second half, in the second he was a negative protagonist in the 4-0 defeat against Lazio. He went to PSV, where he has now settled more.

Filippo Terracciano

The 2024 January signing has been disappointing so far. With Verona, Terracciano showed himself to be an interesting prospect, but has struggled after the jump to a big team. Last year he made just six appearances, one of which as a left back in the defeat at the end of the season against Torino.

This year he replaced Theo as a starter against Udinese and Napoli when he was banned, failing to leave much of a mark. Against Monza he played on the right, not really looking at home there either. This will probably lead to reflections.

Alex Jimenez and Davide Bartesaghi

These are two separate cases given they have never formally been Theo’s assistant due to their commitment with the youth teams. However, Bartesaghi was launched by Pioli a year ago in the final moments against Verona at San Siro.

Paulo Fonseca gave him a chance at the end of September against Lecce by bringing him on in place of Theo in the 80th minute, but Davide got a straight red card after five minutes for a bad tackle on Banda.

Jimenez, on the other hand, immediately made a great impression on his debut as a starter in the Coppa Italia against Cagliari last January, earning Pioli’s trust also for the following match against Atalanta, which cost them elimination and he did not perform well.

The Spaniard is technical, quick and good at progressing the ball, so he seemed the most inclined to a permanent promotion to the first team as the deputy LB, but that place has gone to Terracciano so far.