5 Serie A players to watch in next summer's transfer window
Italian football is known for its culture and tradition and everyone has a favourite Calcio memory. From Diego Maradona leaving defences for dead in the cauldron of the Stadio San Paolo in Naples to Paolo Maldini bringing the ball out of defence with all the technique of a Champions League winning playmaker at Milan. So many players in Serie A history have played out long-lasting careers, playing well into their 30s and even their 40s, often growing better with age.
Maldini, Alessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti, Gigi Buffon, name just a few, and it is this consistent line of evergreen talent which makes the game in Italy so unique. There is something special about Serie A, thanks to the passion of the fans and the tactical approach on the pitch. Developing later had its pros and its cons for the Italy national team, il Azzurri, but those players became more rounded as a result of their prolonged education.
Recently, though, Calcio has lost some of its magic. Fewer top players spend their primes in Serie A than in the 1980s and 90s, and the nation’s top clubs like Juventus, Inter and Milan, who have all conquered Europe in their time, have been through tough times in the last decade or so.
There are some genuinely talented young players in Serie A right now, capable of going for the long haul like those before them. Some are still at an early development stage, but others are ready for the big time. Here are five players clubs should take a serious look at this summer.
#1 Franck Kessie – Atalanta
Linked with Chelsea in January, 20-year-old Ivorian Franck Kessie is one of the most talented young players in Europe, let alone Italy. As a powerful central midfielder, Kessie is quite unique in that he has footballing brains to go with his brawn. He’s 6’ – so not the tallest – but his physical strength means he lends himself to being more of a play-breaker, but that doesn’t tell half of the story with this impressive talent.
(Video Courtesy: ScoutNationHD YouTube Channel)
It may be a cliché, but Kessie really does have a great touch for a big man and is about much more than just breaking up play. Despite having different traits to Paul Pogba physically, he is a similar player in a technical sense, with a phenomenal passing range, great close control when dribbling, and an eye for goal, having netted six goals in 20 Serie A games this season.
Atalanta have been something of a surprise package to many onlookers this season, currently sitting in fifth place and an outside bet for a Champions League place. But the truth is they have been building towards this for a long time, with a team brimming with young talent, many of whom have come through their own youth academy.
Whatever happens to the club, they’ll find it tough to keep Franck Kessie beyond the end of the season.