5 exciting young players to watch in Serie A this season

Date: 17th August 2018 at 1:24pm
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With the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo dominating the headlines you would be forgiven for forgetting about some of the young stars who will be on display in Serie A this year.

Here we take a look at five youngsters to keep an eye on as the season progresses…

Alban Lafont – Fiorentina

Serie A will play host to two of the most promising young goalkeepers in the world this year, with Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and new Fiorentina shot-stopper Alban Lafont battling it out for the accolade.

The 19-year-old Frenchman, who has been heavily linked with Arsenal, Napoli and Roma in the past, arrives with a fantastic reputation and considerable experience, bearing in mind he is still in his teens.

Having played over 100 professional games already, last season he managed an impressive 12 clean sheets in 34 appearances in a struggling Toulouse side.

The youngster is praised for his all-round goalkeeping ability – though his quality with his feet is perhaps one of his more impressive attributes, given its importance for goalkeepers in the modern era.

For a reported fee of €7 million, Lafont could prove to be a bargain.

Ronaldo Vieira – Sampdoria

Another Ronaldo has arrived in Italy this summer, but to considerably much less fanfare. Yet, the 20-year-old comes with a promising reputation off the back of two impressive seasons in England’s second division.

Vieira began his career at Benfica in Portugal but relocated to England with his family where he eventually found his way to Leeds United.

Drafted in as a replacement for the tenacious Lucas Torreira, the dynamic midfielder possesses many of the qualities that his predecessor had. Proficient at tackling and an ability to pick a pass, in the long term he could be the ideal replacement, however, he is yet to play any top-flight football, so the Serie A will be a stern test of his skill.

Leeds United decided to cash in early on their promising youth product in order to balance the books this season, despite owner Andrea Radrizzani’s admittance they probably would have received twice as much money for him next summer. Current manager Marcelo Bielsa is said to be unhappy with the decision to let one of his key first team players depart.

Musa Barrow – Atalanta

The 19-year-old Gambian burst onto the scene towards the end of last season and this could be the year he really cements himself as a key player in the Atalanta side.

The powerful forward was promoted to the main squad after scoring an unprecedented 19 goals in 15 games for the Primavera side, and he managed three goals and two assists in the 12 matches he played for the first team towards the end of the season. Pace, skill and an eye for goal makes for a wonderful cocktail in an offensive player and Barrow has them all in abundance.

He was linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur in the British media this summer, along with players of the calibre of Manchester United’s Anthony Martial, though a move failed to materialise. The skilful attacker is said to also be attracting attention from the likes of Chelsea, Inter, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.

With Gian Piero Gasperini bemoaning Atalanta’s lack of transfer activity, and with Europa League football to negotiate, expect Barrow to play a prominent role this season. If he maintains the trajectory he is on, inevitably the interest in him will continue to grow.

Andrea Favilli – Genoa (Loan from Juventus)

Andrea Favilli has been tracked by Juventus for the entirety of his career and Maximiliano Allegri sanctioned a bid for the former Ascoli striker this summer.

Having been immediately loaned out to Genoa in a bid to aid his development, it will be an interesting season for the under-21 international who, until now, has only plied his trade in Serie B.

The youngster grabbed many people’s attention this summer with a first-half double against Bayern Munich in their pre-season meeting. Though it should be noted that the German champions were playing a heavily depleted side due to their stars involvement in this summer’s World Cup.

With a frame of 1.91m, Favilli has the physique to be a handful for any defensive unit. Whether he can implement his decent Serie B form in Serie A is yet to be seen, but it will be intriguing to see how he takes to the higher standard.

Given the fact that Juventus purchased him, and that he was heavily linked with newly promoted Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, the young man is certainly highly regarded and could make a big impact for I Rossoblu this season.

Dávid Hancko – Fiorentina

A bit of wildcard selection for a one-to-watch given the fact that his first team opportunities will most likely be limited this season, but the 20-year-old Slovakian centre-back is a fascinating prospect and it will be worth keeping an eye out to see how he develops.

Signed from Slovakian side MŠK Žilina, Hancko will predominantly feature for the youth side as he adapts to life in his new surroundings, though he may get the odd first team run-out against the bottom-half sides.

Dubbed the new Paolo Maldini in Slovakia, Hancko already has an excellent reputation, but it’s not only his defensive abilities that stand out. The under-21 international has been praised for his ability on the ball and his attacking qualities.

A superb passing range and an ability to find the back of the net, à la Sergio Ramos, make La Viola’s new signing a tasty proposition. In the coming years, he has the potential to develop into one of the better central defenders in the division. Only time will tell.

 

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