The Red and Blacks have cleverly brought in Italian star Florenzi and French talent Bakayoko from Roma and Chelsea in the midst of the transfer turmoil in the summer, with the hope that their rich experience and outstanding ability will inject new vitality into Stefano Pioli's team, strengthen the depth of the lineup, and help the team cope with the heavy schedule of this season's multifaceted matches.
Despite the fact that the Red and Blacks have buyout clauses in both players' contracts, their performances have fallen far short of expectations and hardly even qualify. Since stepping into the San Siro this season, Florenzi and Bakayoko have mostly played a rotational role, yet in their limited time on the pitch, they have failed to integrate into the team's tactics as they have been rusty with their teammates.
Florenzi, a former Italy international, was never able to establish himself in his parent team despite making a name for himself in Roma's youth academy, and could only be loaned out to Valencia in La Liga and Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. Despite his frequent appearances during his loan spells, he had few highlights and failed to get a chance to stay in the team. Under Pioli's tutelage, Florenzi tried his hand at right back and right winger, but his performances were mediocre and he struggled to compete with teammates such as Calabria and Salmacres, and was not even as good as the youngster Kalulu.
Returning to the Red and Blacks, Bakayoko, who signed a two-year loan deal with the club, suffered an injury-plagued debut and has been consistently in poor form since his comeback. Whether he was starting or on the bench, his frequent misplaced passes, loss of positional sense and reckless fouling were a cause for concern. Compared to Brazilian Fabinho, who landed in the Premier League at the same time, the gap is obvious.
If they can't adjust their mentality and form quickly in the next half season, the Red and Blacks may choose to send them back to their original home next summer and leave more game opportunities and playing time to the younger players in the team. Young players such as Kalulu and Pobega have already shown their ability to establish themselves in Serie A. It is believed that as long as they are given enough trust, their performance will not be inferior to that of the two renowned but mediocre loan players.
