One of the more surprising transfers of the January window has seen Italian giants AC Milan take Adel Taarabt on loan for the remainder of the season.
The Morocco international is undoubtedly talented, but carries with him a considerable amount of baggage – which has become all too apparent for former managers.
The African playmaker will spend the rest of the current campaign with i Rossoneri, and will be one of the players charged with upturning a club in malaise’s fortunes towards the sky.
Playing on the big stage is something that the player has always believed he was destined for – and he has not been shy about expressing it.
Taarabt’s footballing education evolved in the fabled Lens youth ranks in France, with the Fes-born midfielder learning his trade with Les Sang et Or.
He was spotted by Tottenham at a young age, and after a brief loan spell ending up making a permanent move to White Hart Lane. At one point hailed as the ‘next Zinedine Zidane, Taarabt was not really given a fair crack of the whip in north London and struggled to make an impression.
What was immediately apparent was his tidy control, flair and individual skill, but with his slight frame and questionable work rate it remained to be seen whether he had what it took to excel in the English top flight.
Upon Tottenham’s appointment of Juande Ramos, the Moroccan’s time with the club was effectively over. Despite the playmaker’s ambitions of playing for some of Europe’s top clubs and thoroughly believing he was good enough to, it would be at Queens Park Rangers where Taarabt would cut his teeth.
Still on the books at Loftus Road now, the African’s best season of his career was in 2010-11, where Taarabt led QPR to the Championship title. He proved himself much too good for the second tier of English football, and was duly named as Championship Player of the Season.
Since then, he has drifted in and out of games; able to score an individual wondergoal on occasion but frustrating and lazy in equal measures.
Following the relegation of Harry Redknapp’s men at the end of last season, Taarabt has been on loan at London rivals Fulham, but failed to live up to expectations.
His partnership with another former Spur in the Cottagers’ attack in the form of Dimitar Berbatov promised much, but ultimately was not effective. Taarabt has now left Craven Cottage without scoring a goal.
One of Taarabt’s lowest points was ironically for QPR against Fulham. After being substituted and the Hoops ending up getting beaten 6-0, the African was pictured taking the bus home before the game was even over in an insight into the player’s psyche.
On other days Taarabt has been unplayable, picking up excellent positions between opposition lines, beating defenders at will, scoring and creating. It will be this side of the attacking midfielder that the San Siro faithful will hope to see.
Taarabt has been vocal in the past over his belief that he can play for one of Europe’s biggest clubs. The majority of the football community has been dubious, and as such this will be the tempestuous playmaker’s chance to prove plenty of people wrong.
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