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Italian football is known for its art of defending. But that doesn't imply that the Serie A should take a back seat when it comes to offensive play. In fact, the division has been home to some of the finest forwards the sport has witnessed in its long and illustrious history.
It goes without saying that Serie A suffered a big loss when Cristiano Ronaldo left Juventus to seal a return to Manchester United this summer. Nevertheless, the division still boasts some fantastic options when it comes to rating the finest attacking talents in world football.
These are players who have been proving their incredible class with strings of eye-catching performances in front of goal since the beginning of the year. On that note, let's quickly take a look at the five best forwards in Serie A in 2021.
#5 Duvan Zapata
Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata has maintained his position among the finest attackers in Serie A in each of the last couple of years. The Colombian had a decent outing in the Italian top flight last season, scoring 15 times and setting up another ten in 37 games.
He is showing no signs of slowing down this season. The 30-year-old has been a huge force to be reckoned with since the campaign kicked off, recording nine goals and five assists in 16 appearances in the division.
Zapata averages a goal every 134 minutes, with a goal ratio of 0.67 per 90 minutes in the Italian top flight.
#4 Lautaro Martinez
Lautaro Martinez needs no introduction. The striker has been a huge force to be reckoned with in Serie A over the last couple of seasons, producing spectacular displays for Inter Milan.
He currently ranks among the most prolific forwards in the division, with a record of 11 goals and two assists to his name in 17 appearances. That includes six goals in his last six games in the division.
Lautaro Martinez looks set to better the 17 goals he bagged for Inter in Serie A last season. He needs just six goals to match that record and everything indicates he'll get there very soon.
#3 Giovanni Simeone
Giovanni Simeone is proving to be a big-game player for Hellas Verona this season. The striker has been a thorn in the side of many elite clubs in the division so far with his brilliant goalscoring exploits.
Simeone scored four goals against Lazio this term, two against Juventus and one each versus Napoli and Atalanta. Overall, he's recorded 12 goals to his name in 19 Serie A appearances for Hellas Verona so far.
The 26-year-old currently ranks third on the list of top scorers in the division this season.
#2 Ciro Immobile
Ciro Immobile has been one of the finest attackers in Serie A for many years. Thanks to his incredible consistency, the Lazio striker has once again made it into the list of the best forwards in the Italian top flight.
Last season proved to be a prolific one for the Italian, who managed to rack up 20 goals and seven assists in 35 Serie A games. Ciro Immobile has carried his spectacular form into the current campaign, scoring consistently for Lazio in the Italian top flight.
The 31-year-old currently ranks second on the list of top scorers in the division with 13 goals and two assists to his name in 15 appearances.
#1 Dusan Vlahovic
The Fiorentina striker put up a great fight with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku for the Serie A Golden Boot last season. His return of 21 goals and two assists in 37 games was the fourht-best recorded in the Italian top flight last season.
Dusan Vlahovic has raised his game significantly this season, becoming more deadly and ferocious in front of goal. The Serbian is currently leading the race for the Serie A Golden Shoe, with 16 goals and three assists to his name so far.
That includes an impressive eight goals in his last seven appearances in the Italian elite division. The striker is well-placed to go home with the Capocannoniere award this season.
