Manuel Lanzini’s contribution to UAE football may have been fleeting, but there were enough flecks of talent to suggest a golden future lies ahead.
A season at Al Jazira provided evidence of the Argentine’s inventive streak: the rabona flick at home to Al Wasl that cannoned off the woodwork, the goal from a corner against Ajman, excellent solo efforts away to Ajman and at Al Shabab, too.
Signed last summer on a four-year deal from River Plate, much was expected from an attacking midfielder Jazira had tracked for some time. Jazira put in some work to secure Lanzini before several prominent European clubs, with Lazio, Tottenham Hotspur and Villarreal among those interested.
Then 21, he was to be the poster boy of the Arabian Gulf League’s new approach: eschew worn out foreign recruits seeking one final payday, investing instead in talented youngsters keen on establishing a reputation. Nicknamed “La Joya” (the jewel), Lanzini was heralded as a diamond acquisition.
He seemed to settle quickly, scoring twice on his debut — one a virtuoso dribble, the other a volley into the roof of the net — to reinforce his new employers’ belief they had acquired a bona fide star in the making.
Yet, only six more league goals followed, despite Jazira boasting the division’s most prolific attack. Towards the end of the campaign, Lanzini’s impact diminished substantially, so much so that he was allowed to leave in July, on a season-long loan, to West Ham United.
Just as it was at Jazira, his initial impression in London has been positive.
Earlier this month, Lanzini scored a debut goal against Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League, then on Saturday he netted the first and created the second in West Ham’s shock 3-0 victory at Liverpool. He was later voted man of the match.
Lanzini’s display was defined by those two key interventions, but his application and work rate, particularly defensively, proved that though he may not have a physicality suited to the English Premier League — he is only 5ft 5ins tall — he certainly possesses the mental fortitude and the industry to thrive.
In fairness, that was never in question at Jazira. Lanzini always trained well, while on the pitch he was regularly among his side’s top performers in statistics detailing regaining possession.
He understood his physical limitations, too, and worked hard in the gym to bulk up.
Lanzini was well-liked by the staff and teammates, a sociable guy dedicated to learning English so he could better interact. He grew close to Jucilei, a fellow South American.
Yet, while his talent was never in doubt — the pace at which he broke with the ball, his technical proficiency, his ability to spot colleagues’ forward runs and his set-piece acumen — there was the feeling that perhaps the move to the UAE came too soon.
Despite his skill set, Lanzini struggled with the weight of responsibility the league foists upon its foreign players.
They are expected not only to be luminaries, but also leaders. It is no coincidence he has been replaced by Thiago Neves, a Brazilian eight years his senior.
That Lanzini was playing outside Argentina for the first time, and at such a young age, should not be lost, either. Understandably, he missed his infant son.
However, he will be better for the experience. At West Ham, he arrives at a club used to housing Argentines, with Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano two notable recent employees.
Mauro Zarate is now a teammate. He is surrounded by Premier League stalwarts, such as James Collins and Mark Noble, who will ensure his adaptation is relatively pain-free.
Tellingly, West Ham have deployed Lanzini on the right wing, not the No 10 role he was awarded by Jazira.
Out wide, he can utilise his pace and accurate delivery while also helping defensively.
Maybe he just did not fit at Jazira, not in that environment, at that time. It has been welcome, though, to see a player transition from UAE football to a leading European league and not vice versa.
He remains one of the few, but it can only enhance the still-emergent competition’s standing.
Continue to prosper — it is early days yet — and West Ham could exercise their right to make the temporary move permanent. On his arrival at Jazira, Lanzini labelled the transfer a “big step” in his career. Hopefully, the UAE can now be viewed as a stepping stone to grander stages, rather than a home for the mangled and the mercenary.
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