Ranking the 10 best players in the Serie A currently
The Serie A, contrary to its popular perception as a dull and defensive league, happens to be one of the best football leagues in the world.
More and more teams in the league have placed an emphasis on attacking football in recent years. One prime example of that is Atalanta, who have been the top scoring team in the last three Serie A seasons.
Many world-class players have graced the Italian top flight over the years. Of course, the Serie A has featured some of the game's finest goalkeepers (Gianluigi Buffon, Dino Zoff) and defenders (Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Mauro Tassotti, Fabio Cannavaro, and more recently Javier Zanetti, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci).
But the competition has also been home to many fine midfielders and strikers as well, like Marco van Basten, Roberto Baggio, Clarence Seedorf, Zinedine Zidane, Kaka, Francesco Totti, and more recently, Ciro Immobile, Federico Chiesa and Cristiano Ronaldo.
On that note, here's a look at the ten best players plying their trade in the Serie A at the moment:
#10 Theo Hernandez
Theo Hernandez is one of the most exciting young full-backs in the game at the moment.
Only 23, Hernandez has made over 80 appearances in two seasons with AC Milan, scoring 15 goals and providing 13 assists. The Frenchman was a key player last campaign. His 13 goal contributions helped Milan finish second in the Serie A and return to the Champions League after a long absence.
Hernandez has been linked with a move to PSG this summer, as left-back is a position that needs an upgrade in their roster. However, Milan have rejected an offer of €40 million from the Ligue 1 giants for their prized asset.
#9 Manuel Locatelli
Manuel Locatelli is arguably one of the best midfielders in the Serie A at the moment.
The 23-year-old played a key role in Italy's triumphant Euro 2020 campaign, scoring a brace against Switzerland. He has made close to 150 Serie A appearances for three different clubs, registering eight goals and 11 assists.
Locatelli has joined Juventus on a loan deal from Sassuolo this season. He will look to build on his exploits from the previous campaign as the Bianconeri seek a return to title-winning ways.
The Italy international is an Italian SuperCup winner with AC Milan, with whom he commenced his professional career in 2015-16.
#8 Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini is one of the best active defenders in the game at the moment. Italy's Euro 2020-winning captain has been at Juventus since 2005-06, and is the only Bianconeri player to appear in each of the club's nine successive Serie A triumphs between 2012 and 2020.
Now 37, Chiellini finds himself low down this list only because he has come off a wretched last two campaigns in the competition, making only 21 cumulative appearances due to injury.
The no-nonsense centre-back with over 400 Serie A appearances makes up for his lack of pace with strong tackles, positional awareness and aerial prowess. Incredibly, the Italian has won almost 100 Serie A matches under Juventus' returning manager Massimiliano Allegri.
Considering his pedigree and exploits in the competition, Juventus have recently agreed to a two-year extension with Chiellini that would keep him at the club till 2023.
#7 Edin Dzeko
Edin Dzeko has been a prolific goalscorer in the Serie A since his arrival at the Italian top flight during the summer of 2015.
The 35-year-old scored on his debut for Inter Milan in what was his 200th game in the Serie A. Dzeko has scored 86 goals and provided 40 assists in the competition. His best league campaign came with AS Roma in 2016-17, when he scored 29 goals to win the Capocannoniere award.
Dzeko, a two-time Premier League and Bundesliga winner, is one of the few players to have scored at least 50 league goals in three top-five leagues in Europe.