AC Milan were unable to defend their Serie A title last season after a historic win in 2021–22. They also lost probably their best midfielder, Sandro Tonali, in the summer. But midfield was not their issue in the past. Their attack needed some new faces, and Milan has invested heavily in players.
One of the biggest recruits in the summer was Noah Okafor from RB Salzburg. The Swiss striker has won four Austrian Bundesliga titles with his side and has taken a new step in his career. Olivier Giroud is currently leading this Milan side, but they need someone who can lead their attack in the future. Noah Okafor is just 23 and looking to make a name for himself on the biggest stage. Let’s take a look at what this new signing could offer this Milan side.
Regular scorer for RB Salzburg
Noah Okafor joins AC Milan after scoring 10 goals combined in the Austrian Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA Europa League in 2022–23. The Swiss striker was a regular in European competitions and started eight games in these two competitions combined. He scored three goals.
In the domestic league, he played 21 matches and started 11. The 23-year-old scored seven times in the league.
One of the reasons Milan signed him was his goal-scoring average. The striker had a healthy average of 0.52 goals per 90 minutes. This is a good average, as he can score a goal in two games. The shot average was also decent at 2.4 per 90 minutes with 41% accuracy. The above shot map shows that Okafor often found space around the six-yard box to score his goals.
Creative side
Olivier Giroud is known for his hold-up play. Noah Okafor offers something different to the team. He is young and can run with the ball. The player had three assists in the league last season. By looking at the above shot assist map, we can observe that Okafor tries to set up his teammate by providing crosses and low passes into the dangerous areas. Two of his teammates directly scored a goal after receiving his pass.
RB Salzburg used him on the left flank, and the player showed his skills to beat the opposition defenders. The 23-year-old attempted 5.72 dribbles per 90 minutes and had a 55.5% success rate. He also made more than two progressive runs per 90 minutes, with most of them penetrating the opposition penalty box.
Milan have Rafael Leao on that side, but the way Okafor plays will allow him to cut inside, and these players can link up quite well.
Noah Okafor won’t be a regular this season, but Milan fans can expect a lot of things in the future from him. He will look to score goals and win silverware in his first season in Italy.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
