Having faded away from the top of the FIFA rankings in recent years, Italy’s national team and Italian football are currently reinventing themselves. The sole focus is on producing the kind of youngsters who could be well prepared for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup.
And with that in mind, training academies across the country are refining fine youngsters and turning them into rough diamonds. With time and influence, they’ll shine. Right now, however, they’re still the raw products who make the occasional mistake and misplace a pass. It’s all well and good, they’re young and they’re supposed to make mistakes.
Some youngsters have started showing us what they’re truly capable of already; more than others, that is. So, here’s looking at five youngsters in the Serie A and Serie B who might not grab the headlines but are talented individuals capable of greatly influencing a game:
#5 Riccardo Orsolini
20-year-old Riccardo Orsolini has already made it to the front pages in recent months thanks to securing a move to Italian champions, Juventus. However, he is still an unknown quantity to most. The Ascoli born native is one of the most exciting young players in all of Italy and his move to Maximillian Allegri’s side confirms it.
Orsolini is an out-and-out winger capable of playing on either side of the field. He loves playing with the ball at his feet with his tricks, his dribbles and his nutmegging. His quick feet, combined with his intelligence to always be available wide-out means Ascoli have really benefited from him: 13th in Serie B and safe from relegation but not that impressive enough to make it into Italy’s top level.
The 20-year-old will join his new teammates only in the summer having gone out back on loan for the last six months of the domestic season. Juventus paid €6 million to acquire his services, a figure that could well turn out to be a bargain in the days to come.
#4 Andrea Petagna
With all of Europe drooling over the good work of Atalanta’s Franck Kessie, there’s another talent from the Serie A club who seems to have unnoticed even though he has been excellent throughout the season so far.
Petagna might not be a famous name yet but the way he’s setting up his future with Atalanta – a side that’s surprising many with their performances in the Serie A this season. Having failed to make it at AC Milan as a youngster, Petagna has now become a vital part of a UEFA Champions League-chasing team with his five goals and five assists in all competitions.
The 21-year-old is also adept at playing with the ball at his feet. He’s got great dribbling and is able to find a pass into a running teammate. His vision combined with his trickery make him a real asset for the Bergamo club.
#3 Andrea Conti
Another Atalanta talent stars on this list but unlike the previous one, he's an Atalanta boy through and through. Conti joined the academy there and has risen through the ranks to become on the crowd favourites.
A right-back primarily, the youngster has the timing, the pace and the intelligence to bombard forward and help his attack when needed. And although he's scored three goals and has recorded three assists in all competitions this season, his biggest strength is in the defensive department. Conti averages 2.2 key interceptions every game meaning he knows where to be when the opposition and threatening. His alive to threats and he promptly clears them, too.
The 22-year-old is a solid archetypical Italian defender. He's got his basics of defending perfected and everything else he learns and does going ahead is a bonus to the club. He has represented all five levels of Italian youth football and it's about time he graduated to the senior team.
#2 Marco Benassi
Having spent time impressing on his loan spell at Inter Milan as a youngster, Marco Benassi was signed thinking he could become someone in the mould of a Claudio Marchisio or the like for the Italian national team. And while it hasn't exactly gone to plan, he's still proving to be an immaculate option for Torino in the Serie A.
Having started all but two of Serie A games this season, Benassi is one of the Turin club's most important midfield players. He's quick in his thinking, loves playing short passes and has the kind of patience and dexterity a central midfielder needs.
This season, he has already scored five goals and has three assists to his name. For Torino, who are safe from relegation but far from even a UEFA Europa League spot, he's proving to be a real gem in midfield. His link-up play with the forwards is encouraging and he's only got a bright path ahead of him.
#1 Lorenzo Pellegrini
At 20, Lorenzo Pellegrini is already proving to be an incredible talent at the heart of a midtable side. With a few years' worth of experience and the right kind of team around him, the Sassuolo man can become a key figure and someone who can challenge the very best around Europe.
Pellegrini is a defensive midfielder by trade and has used a few chances to go forward and contribute to the attack. That reflects in him having already scored seven goals in all competitions while also setting up four for his teammates to put away.
The Roman has a deadly left foot with which he often takes lethal long shots. He's also someone who's really quick for a defensive midfielder and he has the vision to spot a pass from anywhere in the field. There's not a price tag you can pin on that. All in all, Pellegrini is, according to me, one of the brightest young prospects from the Italian leagues.
