Harry Winks departed Leicester City to join Cagliari in the summer, sealing a return to Italy. The Sardinian side have been a surprise package under Fabio Pisacane and the Englishman has been instrumental to that.
Winks did have a brief spell with Sampdoria earlier in his career during his time at Tottenham. While that added experience, relegation to League One with the Foxes represented a low point.
The player felt out with supporters, which saw more than one confrontation.
Cagliari presented a good chance to return to Italy in what is an increasingly promising project. Last season, the Rossoblu helped develop Marco Palestra, with players like Elia Caprile and Adam Obert also becoming dressing room leaders.
Now, Winks is benefitting from making a sensible choice.
Player seen as a metronome
Cagliari find themselves in the top six of Serie A, losing just once, with Winks having started all five games. He has become a mainstay in midfield, with his ability to dictate play setting the tone for how they attack.
Interestingly, Pisacane’s side have let in only two goals, with the Englishman being key to do that too.
This was highlighted by journalist Giuseppe Amisani, who spoke to TuttoCagliari about the ex-Spurs man.
Praising winks, Amisani said: “Perhaps we have finally found a playmaker that we were missing. Between throws and passes, in the middle of the game he has always been the true metronome of the team.”
Even Winks’ teammates have been in admiration of his skillset and influence.
Caprile spoke to Corriere dello Sport for Monday’s print edition and noted the ex-Leicester City player’s contributions.
“I also think of captain [Alessandro] Deiola, the one from Cagliari who knows more than anyone what it means to play for your favourite team, of Mina, a great leader, and of Winks, who played in the Champions League final with Tottenham.”
Player is the bedrock of the side
As things stand, Winks plays in a 3-5-2 setup alongside younger players like Alessandro Romano and Michel Adopo. The two are learning a lot, with the Swiss-Italian having been called up by the Azzurri already.
The arrival from Leicester City has played a role in that, as Romano seems to be growing into a tempo dictating midfielder that Winks once was.
While English football demands players to cover more distance, Italian football is more about controlling play. This helps players like Winks thrive, especially as he steers clear of fitness worries.
