Is Fredy Guarin the answer to Inter’s trequartista problem?

Fredy Alejandro Guarín Vásquez, better known as Fredy Guarin, is a Colombian international who plays as a midfielder for Serie A side, Internazionale. Initially taken on loan from Portuguese giants FC Porto, along with Angelo Palombo in a view to replace PSG bound Thiago Motta, Guarin now has become an integral part of the San Siro outfit. Currently deployed as a replacement for the crafty Wesley Sneijder, he has definitely added a new dimension to the trequartista role.

Starting his professional footballing career as a central midfielder in the local league of Colombia, he started getting attention when he moved to Porto FC from French side St. Etienne. His performances for Porto, especially in the Europa League, caught the attention of Inter manager Claudio Ranieri, who eventually signed him on loan to fill the void created by the departure of Thiago Motta.

Initially given the responsibility of a holding midfielder alongside Esteban Cambiasso, he soon developed himself into a player who added to a lot of versatility to the team. His initial performances as a holding midfielder attracted some criticism for his inability to dive into tackles and commit fouls close to the defensive third, but his energy and constant runs through the middle of the park signified the qualities of a box-to-box midfielder, something that was absent. This led to Stramaccioni making his final acquisition at the beginning of the 2012-13 season.

At the beginning of the season, in the absence of Wesley Sneijder, Stramaccioni used him as the trequartista in his preferred 4-3-1-2 diamond formation behind the two strikers. Even though he is not as crafty and creative as the Dutchman, his consistency and energy has made him a valuable resource. The same can be explained by his contribution of 10 goals and 7 assists in his 33 starts this season.

Under the changed 3-4-1-2 formation, he has the freedom to roam around the defence and doesn’t have to bother too much about defending. He uses his strength and energy to muscle past defenders and create chances for the forwards, unlike Sneijder, who was static but crafty. As a good interceptor, he has developed his skills to win balls in the final third, which allows him to either have a shot at the goal or pass it to the more creative Antonio Cassano to dictate the proceedings. However, one thing that he has to improve to compete with Sneijder is his eye for goals.

Whether or not he is a replacement for Sneijder, he has given a different colour to the trequartista role.