New Roma Signing Bryan Cristante Has Taken A Bumpy And Chaotic Road Back To The Top

New Roma Signing Bryan Cristante Has Taken A Bumpy And Chaotic Road Back To The Top
14:00, 11 Jun 2018

Last summer saw AS Roma make a major splash with their transfer announcements, a number of their videos going viral as the Italian club unveiled their new players in increasingly eye-catching ways. Following their work to reveal Cengiz Under, Gregoire Defrel, and in particular Aleksandar Kolarov, the end of the 2017/18 campaign brought an air of excitement as fans of the Giallorossi – and indeed football supporters across the continent – waited for their latest offering.

Yet as brilliant, creative and hugely enjoyable as those clips from 12 months ago were, it is quite possible Roma have outdone themselves his time around. The arrival of Bryan Cristante from Atalanta was announced not with a cleverly made video inspired by George Lucas, but instead via a photoshopped picture that prompted many to double check they were looking at the club’s official account. They were, and this was no hastily put together effort, but merely the latest effort from a social media team who are leaving others trailing in their wake in terms of originality and humour.

It hit the mark perfectly and was shared thousands and thousands of times, but while many applauded the picture, few stopped to discuss the impact the player himself could have for the Giallorossi. Thanks to his former club’s showing in the Europa League last term his name is much more widely known, but Cristante’s career to date is well worth closer examination as he took a very interesting route before even joining Atalanta.

A product of the AC Milan youth sector, he played a major role in winning the national title at under-15 and under 17 level as well as featuring in two Viareggio Tournament finals, Cristante was brought into the first-team ahead of the 2011/12 season. Max Allegri was clearly impressed with his prodigious talent, giving the 16-year-old his debut in the Champions League, but the sheer volume of talent at the club limited his appearances.

Two seasons later however, the Rossoneri had seen a vast number of players move on and began to turn to their homegrown talents. Cristante was tipped to be part of that, his confidence growing and, after a goal against Atalanta in January 2014, many expected to see him shine in the team for years to come.

Yet his time at San Siro would come to an end just a few months later, surprisingly sold to Benfica in a move which allowed Milan to then buy Giacomo Bonaventura. That was clearly a wise choice for them, but it quickly turned into a disaster for Cristante as he struggled to adapt to life at the Portuguese giants. That he made just seven league appearances over the next 18 months underscores just how ill-suited the club and player were for one another, yet he fared little better during loan spells with Palermo and Pescara.

By January 2017, it seemed that – as the disappointments and failures piled up – he would never reach the potential that had been so evident at Milan. Then Atalanta came calling. The Bergamo-based side had enjoyed a promising start to the season, so much so that Serie A’s bigger clubs had already begun to pick off their best players, typified by Roberto Gagliardini’s move to Inter.

Atalanta have always had a reputation for developing young players, while Gian Piero Gasperini is something of a master at rejuvenating those who have lost their way. A combination of the coach’s skill and the air at the Zingonia training ground proved the perfect mix, the midfielder once again displaying all the attributes that made him such a highly regarded talent in the first place. Cristante slotted into the void left by Gagliardini and unquestionably shone even more brightly in a team that qualified for Europe for the first time since 1990/91.

That allowed Cristante to prove himself on an even bigger stage. Scoring goals against Napoli and Juventus brought his name into the spotlight, while a brace in Atalanta’s 5-1 demolition of Everton effectively eliminated the Premier League club from the Europa League. His displays at Juventus Stadium, Goodison Park and Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion show that Cristante could perform even under intense pressure, earning him a senior international debut last October along the way. Recognition at that level was richly deserved, and so too is this move to Roma in a deal which will see them hand over €20 million plus a further €10 million in potential bonuses.

Cristante has registered 15 goals in 59 games for Atalanta, many coming as a result of his superbly timed runs, a major factor in his success. Sometimes first in the box to make use of his 1.88m (6ft 2 “) frame, he is good in the air but also adept at arriving late, slamming home a rebound or cutback with equal aplomb.

Weighing in with four assists, he created an average of 1.5 clear scoring chances for a team-mate per 90 minutes last term while completing 78% of his 50.2 pass attempts per game. Those numbers should improve as part of a more talented squad in the Italian capital, and his movement – which is excellent away from the penalty area too – helps him to link up well with those around him.

Roma saw off competition from Juventus, Arsenal and Chelsea to sign him and Cristante should prove to be a good addition, while in Eusebio Di Francesco he will find another coach who routinely helps young players to develop their talent and become even better.

It has been a bumpy and somewhat chaotic path back to one of Italian football’s more well-known clubs, but he is still only 23 years old. Bryan Cristante might have landed in the perfect spot, leaving fans of the clubs who missed out on him hastily photoshopping him into their kit and wondering what might have been.

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