The young guns of Serie A

Alberto Paloschi – On loan at Chievo Verona from AC Milan.

A star for Italy at under 17, under 19 and under 21 level, Alberto Paloschi shown his ability to score goals and has displayed just a glimpse of his overall potential. The 21 year old scored four goals in nine games for the U17s, second in five for the U19s and seven in 22 for the U21s, a record not too dissimilar from Giuseppe Rossi, who now leads the line for the senior team. If Paloschi can secure regular first-team football whilst on loan at Chievo or when he returns to his parent club AC Milan, it surely won’t be long until he joins Rossi in the senior national squad.

Khouma El Babacar – Fiorentina

At the tender age of 14, Khouma Babacar was scouted by Genoa and Fiorentina. The Florence club managed to seal the deal and they haven’t looked back since. The Senegalese striker made his debut for the club against Chievo in the last 16 of the Coppa Italia when he was just 16 years old. He marked the occasion by scoring an equalising goal as the team won 3-2. Babacar has recently been plying his trade in the Viola reserve team, but after having scored four goals in his last nine games he will soon be rejoining the likes of Stefan Jovetic and Riccardo Monotlivo in the first team.

Alexander Merkel – On loan at Genoa from AC Milan

Here we have another loan star from AC Milan, who is making a name for himself, Alexander Merkel. There are few players with a more complicated background; Merkel was born in Kazakhstan to Russia parents with of German descent. He has played for Germany at every level from under 15s to under 19s . He spent the majority of his first season in AC Milan’s first team as a squad player and on the bench, making only six appearances, including a bow in the Champions League against Tottenham Hotspur. Since joining Genoa on loan this season, he has made four starts and set-up two goals from midfield.

Abel Hernandez – Palermo

The 21 year old completes a fearsome attacking quartet for Uruguay, playing alongside Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, Inter’s Diego Forlan and his former Palermo team-mate Edison Cavani, who is currently in fine scoring form for high-flying Napoli. Since Cavani’s departure from Palermo in June 2010, Hernandez has been able to cement his place in the starting eleven, partnering the Italian Fabrizio Miccoli in attack. Hernandez has scored three goals in nine Serie A appearances this season and looks to be on his way to replacing Cavani as the club’s leading striker. In the summer of 2011, the Telegraph reported that Tottenham Hotspur had had a £8.9million (€10million) bid for the striker rejected.

Mattia Destro – On loan at Siena from Genoa

In Mattia Destro, we are introduced to another young Italian striker with a prolific scoring record in youth team internationals. The 20 year old has represented his country from under 16s level to under 21s, and he has kept up an amazing scoring record throughout. His best showing came for the under 19s, for whom he scored 16 goals in 14 appearances. He has been able to continue that fine form into the under 21s where he currently has five goals in 11 matches. In Serie A, he is currently gaining valuable first team experience with Siena, where he has scored three goals in five games. If Genoa decide not to keep the striker, his £2.6million (€3million) valuation is bound to catch the eye of many clubs if he can maintain his form.

Gaston Ramirez – Bologna

The second Uruguayan to be included on the list is 20 year old (21 on Dec 2nd) Gaston Ramirez of Bologna. The winger, who plays predominantly on the left, has been in top form for his club at the start of this Serie A season, bagging three goals and laying on a further four in just eight games. He has been reportedly chased by both Manchester clubs, as well as La Liga heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid, and a number of bids were rejected for the player over the summer. Bologna will be hard pushed to hang on to such a promising player, especially with some of Europe’s elite pursuing him.