The Brightest Prospects from the Serie A Minnows So Far | OneFootball

Like in every campaign, a few youngsters from the relatively smaller Serie A sides are impressing early. Some are newcomers, others are continuing to grow from previous seasons, and it won’t be long before they make their way to a top team, either in Italy or abroad.

Patrick Dorgu

He has turned heads as soon as Lecce promoted him prematurely from their Primavera side because of his physical skills and character. His evolution has been blazing fast and impressive. Fielding him as a winger seemed like a ploy to give him consistent minutes at first. They have one of their most reliable players, Antonino Gallo, in his natural role. Instead, he has become a big weapon in the final third, improving his touch dramatically in the span of a year. He went from having big misses to being able to produce three clutch finishes in the same game, albeit just one stood. At this point, it’d be too restraining to sign him to play as a fullback. In his next stop, he should be at least a wingback, if not an attacker altogether. Luca Gotti looked insane at first when he likened him to Gareth Bale and his trajectory. However, he might not have been far off.

Nico Paz

He wasn’t exactly flying under the radar since he joined from the most prestigious team in the world. It’s not easy to live up to the hype right away after a substantial change of scenery and moving to a highly challenging league for a no.10. He has class and charisma for days. He has quickly asserted himself as the leader of a team that isn’t lacking in terms of talent. Cesc Fabregas entrusted him early, and his system enhances him. His left foot is feathery, and he never hides or fails to put his imprint on any game. The big bummer is that Real Madrid retained control over him. His stay in the Peninsula might be short, and the Serie A giants have almost no shot of snapping him up.

Adrian Bernabé and Ange-Yoan Bonny

The former hasn’t been as eye-popping as last year since he’s being deployed exclusively as a deep-lying playmaker and not as a no.10. Therefore, he has failed to contribute to a goal so far because he operates far away from the goal. Still, it’s remarkable for somebody so young and with a small frame to be able to pull the strings as effectively as he’s doing. It’s a role where players age like fine wine and have a very long shelf life. He’s just scratching the surface. He might become one of the best pure regista around in a couple of years. It’s a dying breed and a tremendously useful asset.

The French striker is loads of fun for his peculiar style, as he’s a big but agile hub, has great technique for a center-forward, and is very generous when it comes to setting up his teammates rather than finishing. While he probably will never be a 20-goal-per-season guy, he’s made strides in that regard, hitting the net thrice already. He already plays like a veteran but has major dynamism. He’d be the perfect fit for those teams that like to have a striker whose job isn’t just to score.

Jackson Thatchoua

He was relatively unknown when he joined, but Marco Baroni gave him a chance early and molded him into a fullback while he had featured more offensively in Belgium. He still needs some work defensively, and his right role is probably a wingback, so he can unleash his bursting runs and make his presence felt up front more often. It’s not easy for a player in his position to be so impactful and become a reference point for his club, especially in a Serie A minnow, but he’s managed. He’s a threat whenever he has the ball and a bit of room to work with. Hellas Verona were correct in holding onto him last summer despite some offers. His sale will fetch a lot more in the next windows.

Honorable Mentions

Gaetano Oristanio, who’s not quite Matias Soulé, as he’s more twitchy and less gifted, but has equally benefitted from Eusebio Di Francesco’s system and trust; Reda Belahyane, who has brilliantly taken advantage of his opportunities and projects to be a nice all-around midfielder with a lot of grit and good enough passing chops; Jeff Ekhator, who’s a baby but is starting to stand out amid Genoa’s never-ending injury crisis; Jacopo Fazzini and Sebastiano Esposito, who had already shown some stuff and are making the permanent leap this season; Abdoulaye Touré, who’s massive but not stiff and has been able to fend off the competition from some veterans for good reasons at Udinese.