7M Scouting Report - Promising Stars in Serie A
Posted Saturday, December 10, 2016 by 7M Sport
Serie A was once called the "Mini World Cup" for so many football stars playing on the Apennine pitch. From Maradona, Baggio and Batistuta to the holy trinities - Gullit, Van Basten & Rijkaard, from Weah, Matthaus and Bierhoff to Bergkamp, Zidane and Maldini, and the list goes on.
Nowadays, Serie A is not that star-studded as years ago. The Milan Big Two are trying their best to get on their feet. Juventus have been dominating the Scudetto, but failed to clinch the Champions League title. After losing Pirlo, Vidal and Pogba, the Bianconeri may find their dream drifting even further.
What Serie A never lets us down is their ability to generate young stars. Our 7M team will give you a list that consists several promising youngsters in Serie A. Maybe someday they will develop into another Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, you never know.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
The 17-year-old was anointed by Gianluigi Buffon as the 'chosen one'. The Juventus captain admitted that the teenager will be the future No.1 for Italy. Donnarumma also earned high praise as former teammate Diego Lopez once called him "the future of Italian football".
One thing which stands out about Donnarumma is his gigantic physical frame. Donnarumma has height advantage over most footballers even at such an incredibly young age. Not only than that, Donnarumma demonstrates great confidence and maturity in his game.
And perhaps his another significant attribute is his ability to show leadership and organize his team's defense, it takes some instinct to be able to do this at such a young age in a goalkeeping position where many goalies can comfortably play into their late 30's like his predecessors. But there is room for Donnarumma's improvement in certain areas of his performance for sure, such as his ball control and positioning. If we give him more time to grow with experience, this young man would definitely become a force to be reckoned with in the footballing world.
Amadou Diawara
Coveted by big clubs across Europe, Amadou Diawara was one of the shining new stars of Seire A last year. And he certainly did not slow down this rapid development at the beginning of this season in Napoli.
The Guinean quickly established himself in the center of Bologna's midfield. Diawara is a ball-winning midfielder by trade with strong tackling ability who reads the game close to perfection, which is a godgiven trait for a youngster. He always rams into opposition players to force them off the ball, or smacks in to intercept passes before timely and smartly recycling play for his team.
It was unthinkable that Bologna can hold onto Diawara, so we now see him playing in Napoli jersey. Maybe someday he will grow into another N'Golo Kante figure and playing in an even bigger platform.
Federico Bernardeschi
Federico Bernardeschi is basically an attacking midfielder. The 22-year-old is also the current incumbent of the number 10 shirt in Fiorentina. According to Calciomercato, Chelsea are preparing a €45 million offer for this promising star. It is obvious that the Italy international is gradually improving, which caught other giant clubs' eyes.
Bernardeschi boasts excellent distribution and comfort on the ball, and he has also been highly effective in front of goal so far this season, bagging seven times in 14 league appearances. In terms of midfielder, only Roma's Mohamed Salah scored more goals than him.
Unlike some of the selfish goalscorer, Bernardeschi is willing to take on whatever position his coach opts to give him, which shows a level of tenacity rarely seen in young players. Furthermore, his ability to carry out the tasks in each position is a sign of real tactical maturity and awareness. Not to mention that playing so many different positions will mold him into a versatile footballer. The La Viola No.10 deserves our attention and credit.
Giovanni Simeone
Giovani Simeone, who scored an amazing brace as the fearless Genoa beat Juventus with a jaw-dropping 3-1 on 27th, November, has drew people's attention. You may not know who he is, but look at his last name, you can surely guess it now. That's right, Giovanni is the son of the legendary Argentine international and current manager of Atletico Madrid – Diego Simeone.
Since his early years, Giovani was seen as a very talented player. He has impressed people in every step of his way. The striker is very highly rated in Argentina, scoring 12 goals in 29 games during his loans at Banfield in 2015. He was also the top scorer at the 2015 South American Youth championship with 9 goals.
Totally different from the Simeone senior, Simeone junior is a technically gifted No.9 with a strong physique. The former River Plate and Banfield boss Matias Almeyda believes he can be "the new Patrick Kluivert". Unlike the above players, Giovani hasn't really build up his resume yet with only one famous battle in Serie A, so he is likely to proceed this journey in Genoa. But looking back his progression during the years, Giovanni Simeone may reach the level of his beloved father in one day.
Andrea Belotti
Prior to this season, football fans are unlikely to watch Torino closely. But with England international Joe Hart's arrival, this mediocre team are under some unprecedented spotlight. However, there is one more player that really shines for them in this season - Andrea Belotti.
The 23-year-old has injected new life into Torino as the 3rd player in Serie A's top scorers list with 10 goals. An impressive start to the season has earned the Granata striker a place in the Azzurri squad under his former coach Giampiero Ventura.
Belotti really is an ideal attacker for any manager seeking versatility and endless possibilities. His movement in the final third is one of the best in Italy, but he is also an underrated speed threat. The Italy international is a clinical striker who has the fortitude to win 50-50 balls in the air. It's not only in skill, but his athleticism as well, that allows him to be a potent weapon to head home some goals. Although he now becomes the subject of transfer rumors across Europe, such as Premier League powerhouses Liverpool and Arsenal, his future looks to be in Turin at least for now.
(7M/Russell)
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