BEST YOUNG ITALY PLAYERS
BRIEF PROFILE ON SOME OF ITALY'S BEST EMERGING TALENTS
Reigning European champions, Italy’s recent success was powered by a core of young talent, including Manuel Locatelli and Federico Chiesa. Here are reports on some of the most interesting emerging Italian football. Each cover their backgrounds, styles, strengths and weaknesses.
You can find more in-depth player reports in the Scouted Football Handbook, our quarterly magazine in which we profile 25 of the world’s best up-and-coming talents, with additional original features and exclusive interviews included.
THE BEST YOUNG TALENTS IN FOOTBALL
CLICK BELOW TO SCROLL TO SPECIFIC PROFILES
LAST UPDATED: MARCH 30, 2022
Giovanni Fabbian
DATE OF BIRTH
14/01/2003
positions
Number 8
CLUB
Internazionale
NATIONAL TEAM
Under-19s
HEIGHT
1.86 metres
PREFERRED FOOT
Right
STRENGTHS
- Physicality and athleticism
- Verticality of playstyle
- Goalscoring from midfield
WEAKNESSES
- Playing with back to goal
- Evading pressure
background
A colossus of Italy’s under-19s and Inter’s Primavera, Giovanni Fabbian’s first steps into senior football cannot be too far away. Scintillating performances in Italy’s qualifying Under-19 Euros qualifying campaign must now be the basis for propelling him into a senior football loan next season in Serie B.
STYLE OF PLAY
Fabbian is a big-bodied number eight that physically dominates at youth level. While his game isn’t necessarily reliant on this physicality, he definitely uses it to his advantage. That being said, at his size already, do not be surprised to see this translate quite well to senior football in the coming years.
The Inter midfielder brings directness and purpose to his side. He loves to pick the ball up and drive into vacant space in front of him, while always actively looking for a progressive pass to play. His verticality is refreshing, and he often follows these plays by continuing his runs into the final third after he has dished off possession looking to get into dangerous positions in and around the penalty area.
Fabbian struggles slightly more playing with his back to goal, where he has less scope to leverage his physical attributes to progress play. He also tends to panic when pressed in these situations, forcing him into playing balls back into his centre-backs, rather than being able to scan, receive on the turn and find a midfield target.
OUR LATEST PLAYER PROFILES
Lorenzo Lucca
DATE OF BIRTH
10/09/2000
positions
Striker
CLUB
AC Pisa
NATIONAL TEAM
Under-21s
HEIGHT
2.01 metres
PREFERRED FOOT
Right
STRENGTHS
- Big athletic profile
- Directness in attack
- Ball-striking technique
WEAKNESSES
- Combination play
- Hold/link up play
background
Lorenzo Lucca has become a sensation this season with high-flying AC Pisa, as the 2000-born striker continues to ride a wave that has taken him from Serie D to Serie B. He cost Pisa a hefty €2.1 million, but he has been worth every penny since his arrival from Palermo. Since stepping up a coupleof divisions, Lucca scored six goals in his first seven games – although he hasn’t scored since.
STYLE OF PLAY
Lucca is a giant. He is an athletic two metre tall striker that loves to play in two ways; either with his back to a defender, or stretching the defence with runs in behind. He has a fairly lean frame that moves quite quickly, but he is powerful enough as well.
He loves backing into defenders trying to pin them back to open up spaces for others, or to spin them himself either when he receives the ball, or to then run in behind to receive through on goal. He tends to overplay his bodywork, looking for contact too readily rather than playing the ball. This routinely leads to losses of possession for his team.
Lucca is very aggressive and very direct. Yes, his game could be improved by slowing things down on occasion, especially when he receives the ball in deeper positions, but this directness can be very effective, even if it is not always the most efficient approach. He is two-dimensional though, and lacks the in-between game at this point to thrive in a possession-based tactic that thrives on combinations and movement between the lines.
In front of goal, he is naturally a great aerial threat, but he also possesses a venomous right-footed strike when he is given the space to wind up.
Fabio Miretti
DATE OF BIRTH
03/08/2003
positions
Midfielder
CLUB
Juventus
NATIONAL TEAM
Under-19s
HEIGHT
1.79 metres
PREFERRED FOOT
Right
STRENGTHS
- Sharp technique and control
- Progresses on-ball sequences quickly
- Goalscoring ability from deep
WEAKNESSES
- Defensive overzealousness
background
One of the jewels of Juventus’ academy, Fabio Miretti appears destined for great things within the Italian game. Having been a key member of Juve’s excellent run in the UEFA Youth League, Miretti has also spent lots of time in and around the Bianconeri first team, including making his Champions League debut in 2021 and Serie A debut 2022.
STYLE OF PLAY
Miretti’s game is an excellent mix of sharpness and directness in possession, and tenacity and hard work off it. It also allows him to effectively play a range of roles on midfield.
His technique is snappy. He receives the ball comfortably in traffic and then has the quality to move the ball quickly and progressively, making him a very effective player in helping to break down deep blocks.
His passing range is quite varied too. He is able to execute a range of short-to-mid-range passes, throwing in some outside of the foot passes just to underline the quality of his ball striking technique, which then extends to his ability in front of goals.
Off the ball he is a tenacious worker that uses his mobility to shut down ball carriers and marshal spaces. Defending one-on-one, he is unbelievably robust in the challenge for a player that looks a tad slight. This, combined with his lateral quickness, makes him a difficult player to beat.
Giacomo Raspadori
DATE OF BIRTH
18/02/2000
positions
Second striker
CLUB
US Sassuolo
NATIONAL TEAM
Seniors
HEIGHT
1.72 metres
PREFERRED FOOT
Both
STRENGTHS
- Receiving between lines
- Creativity in final third
- Composure in front of goal
WEAKNESSES
- Goalscoring potential/outputs
- Smaller frame in stature
background
Lorenzo Lucca has become a sensation this season with high-flying AC Pisa, as the 2000-born striker continues to ride a wave that has taken him from Serie D to Serie B. He cost Pisa a hefty €2.1 million, but he has been worth every penny since his arrival from Palermo. Since stepping up a coupleof divisions, Lucca scored six goals in his first seven games – although he hasn’t scored since.
STYLE OF PLAY
Lucca is a giant. He is an athletic two metre tall striker that loves to play in two ways; either with his back to a defender, or stretching the defence with runs in behind. He has a fairly lean frame that moves quite quickly, but he is powerful enough as well.
He loves backing into defenders trying to pin them back to open up spaces for others, or to spin them himself either when he receives the ball, or to then run in behind to receive through on goal. He tends to overplay his bodywork, looking for contact too readily rather than playing the ball. This routinely leads to losses of possession for his team.
Lucca is very aggressive and very direct. Yes, his game could be improved by slowing things down on occasion, especially when he receives the ball in deeper positions, but this directness can be very effective, even if it is not always the most efficient approach. He is two-dimensional though, and lacks the in-between game at this point to thrive in a possession-based tactic that thrives on combinations and movement between the lines.
In front of goal, he is naturally a great aerial threat, but he also possesses a venomous right-footed strike when he is given the space to wind up.
Samuele Ricci
DATE OF BIRTH
18/02/2000
positions
Number 6/8
CLUB
Torino FC
NATIONAL TEAM
Under-21s
HEIGHT
1.80 metres
PREFERRED FOOT
Right
STRENGTHS
- Strong technical levels
- Tactical intelligence
- Progressive passing ability
WEAKNESSES
- Creativity in the final third
- Shot selection
background
After a season in which he was crowned Serie B’s best player, alongside Italian under-21 team-mate Davide Frattesi, Samuele Ricci has been one of Serie A’s breakout stars in 2021/22. Ricci fit perfectly in Empoli’s free-flowing and attacking team under Aurelio Andreazzoli.
Last winter, he made the incremental step up the Serie A ladder to Torino, a resurgent club under the guidance of Ivan Jurić.
STYLE OF PLAY
His technique is exceptional; fitting perfectly within Italy’s current and emerging generation of midfielders that thrive when tasked with carrying the ball through traffic.
Like those players, Ricci matches technical quality with the tactical understanding to be effective in a range of slightly different midfield roles; out wide, as a playmaker, as a defensive midfielder, or even as a mezzala.
Ricci is a superb all-rounder. He is around six feet tall and is robust in physical duels, but also light on his feet as he glides through challenges with the ball. He has a great passing range as well. He also has a good passing range that has seen him play more often as Empoli’s deepest-lying midfielder in 2021/22, tasked with creating a lot of their ball progression from deep. And he has no fear of pushing up into the final third, although he needs to be more selective with his shots from distance.
Nicolò Rovella
DATE OF BIRTH
04/12/2001
positions
Number 6
CLUB
Genoa CFC
NATIONAL TEAM
Under-21s
HEIGHT
1.79 metres
PREFERRED FOOT
Right
STRENGTHS
- Strong technical levels
- Adept under pressure
- Decent ball-winner
WEAKNESSES
- Lacks long-range aspect to skillset
- Passive pass selection
background
Nicolò Rovella broke into Genoa’s first-team last season and has since established himself as a regular starter this season. It didn’t take long for him to be noticed, either.
After less than half a season as a Serie A player, Juventus invested a big sum at the start of 2021 to sign the Segrate-born midfielder before loaning him back to his boyhood club for the next 18 months. He’s also been a regular with Italy’s under-21 side.
STYLE OF PLAY
Rovella is a deep-lying midfielder that’s smaller in stature but tenacious in nature. His strengths in his current form are his up-tempo and clean technical abilities on the ball.
He’s an accomplished technician at the base of midfield: he scans regularly to inform his positioning and decision-making, his touch is consistent, his technique is clean. Rovella is also very good under pressure; he always wnats the ball and is adept at moving it on quickly to escape an opponent pressing him. Rovella does his best work in short, sharp bursts but he has the technical skillset to become a more progressive player too.
Defensively, it’s much of the same – the 20-year-old is better in smaller spaces than over longer distances. He has the tenacity to win the ball back when tackling, but lacks the long-range athleticism to cover big spaces and he can be overwhelmed in contact situations as well, owing to his smaller size. He should fill out in time.
Beyond the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nicolò Barella and Alessandro Bastoni, Italy have a decent core of young players coming through. Manuel Locatelli and Gianluca Scamacca are standouts, Samuele Ricci and Davide Frattesi have international futures, and Sebastiano Esposito and Lorenzo Lucca are interesting prospects.
The big academies – AC Milan, Inter, Juventus and Roma – produce a strong stream of international-level of talent, as does Atalanta’s impressive youth system. US Sassuolo also develop a lot of talent, picking up young players from other clubs and giving them first-team opportunities.
OUR LATEST PLAYER PROFILES
