Article by Raffaele (@ItalianoCalcio)
We all know about the big names, the stars in Serie A like Gianluigi Buffon, Gonzalo Higuain, Mauro Icardi, and Francesco Totti. There are several young talents out there that the casual Serie A fan might not know about. Well, here are three that you should get to know.
1) Amadou Diawara – Napoli
Wondering how good Diawara is? Good enough that Maurizio Sarri started him at the Bernabeu in a Champions League game against Real Madrid. Oh, and Diawara played really well, held his own against Real Madrid’s stars, and seemed completely unfazed. The Guinean born midfielder is only 19 years old and is tearing up Serie A. He started his career in Serie A last year with Bologna and caught the eye of many big clubs and ultimately signed with Napoli this past summer. Diawara has recently applied for Italian citizenship, which would make him eligible to play for the Italian National Team. Italy has several young, talented midfielders, but Diawara is a tremendous talent and one that would get Giampiero Ventura thinking. Diawara has a presence about him and does a good job at intercepting passes, and making a key pass himself to open up the field for his teammates. Diawara has not scored any goals yet, but he likes to shoot from distance to put pressure on the opposing team’s defense. It took Diawara some time to finally get hischance, but ever since his Napoli debut in mid-October, he has been a player Sarri has trusted and relied on.
2) Federico Chiesa – Fiorentina
The Fiorentina winger/midfielder is only 19 years old. This is Chiesa's first season in Serie A and he is making his mark. Federico Chiesa is the son of former Serie A striker Enrico Chiesa, so he has the talent to play in his DNA. Chiesa is a wizard with the ball at his feet, a good dribbler, and has nice pace. As soon as he gets the ball, he uses a burst of speed that beats most defenders. He needs to improve on his finishing, which should come with more experience. One of Chiesa’s best games this season came against Juventus, he also put in a good game against Milan back in February. Fiorentina wisely renewed Chiesa's contract back in January until 2021. Chiesa has represented Italy on their U-19, U-20, and U-21 teams, it is only a matter of time until he is playing on the senior team.
3) Lorenzo Pellegrini – Sassuolo
When you think of Sassuolo, you think of Domenico Berardi. There is another young player you should be paying attention to; Lorenzo Pellegrini. Sassuolo are not having the season many expected them to have, but one of their bright spots has been the 20-year old midfielder. The former Roma youth product is making a name for himself and has represented Italy up to the U-21 level. Pellegrini has scored a combined 7 goals and 5 assists in all competitions so far this season. He has shown a knack for scoring, and can do so from distance. The young Italian is also a threat from set pieces. Sassuolo would like to see Pellegrini improve on his passing, especially since he plays right in the middle of the field. Just like Chiesa, it is only a matter of time until Pellegrini is representing Italy at the senior level.
