Continued

Darmian was one of the few Italy players to
emerge from the World Cup with any credit
following their humiliating group-stage exit and
the Torino man has been a regular under Cesare
Prandelli's successor as head coach, Antonio
Conte. Last week, he was again devastating
against England during a 1-1 friendly draw in
Turin – his speed and aggression too much for
his direct opponent Nathaniel Clyne as the
Southampton man was substituted at half-time.
Such is his standing on the peninsula that
Darmian was voted the best Italian player of 2014
in the annual Pallone Azzurro - ahead of Andrea
Pirlo and Graziano Pelle.
He has also been one of the Europa League's
standout players this term, scoring three goals as
Torino were narrowly eliminated in the last 16 by
Zenit St Petersburg. He netted a crucial strike in
the win at Athletic Bilbao the round prior which
impressed Barca.
For some time now, it has been clear that
Darmian deserves to be playing at a higher level
than Torino can offer. Italy team-mate Giorgio
Chiellini told Tuttosport last year: "I know just
how much Darmian is worth. With all due respect
to Torino, he should be playing for a bigger
team."
And they don't come much bigger than Barcelona.
From an attacking sense – and certainly from a
physical one – Darmian has all the tools to be a
success in Catalunya. He is direct, lightning-quick
and, like Dani Alves, very adventurous – pushing
forward at every opportunity. He has attempted
more dribbles (67) than the Brazilian (42) this
season in league football.
His crossing will need to improve (his accuracy
this term is just 13.43 per cent) but his ability to
penetrate and make overlapping runs will suit
Barca's style of play. He has created more
chances from open play (27) than any wing-back
or full-back in Serie A this season, and again
more than Dani Alves in La Liga. He is also an
excellent presser off the ball.
Darmian's versatility will come as an added
bonus. Following the arrival of Bruno Peres, he
has spent much of the current season with Torino
on the left flank. "But my favorite position is on
the right because it allows me to use my natural
foot," he has stressed.
One potential concern for the Blaugrana, though,
is a tactical one. Darmian is relatively untested
and inexperienced at the highest level in a four-
man backline. Since his breakthrough in 2013-14,
he has mainly featured as a wing-back in a 3-5-2
formation for both club and country.
This means his marking, concentration and all-
round defensive skills in a tight-knit, disciplined
unit are still somewhat unknown, despite
beginning his career as a centre-back and playing
in a back four in Serie B with Torino and Padova.
Then again, not being able to defend never held
Dani Alves back.
And as a youngster, Darmian will surely have
learned a thing or two from one of the most
iconic full-backs of all time. Having entered AC
Milan's youth academy at the age of 14, he
trained with the great Paolo Maldini. He has
inevitably been compared to the five-time
Champions League winner, although even Darmian
himself admits that such talk is ridiculous.