Serie A has had an array of bright talents this year, ranging from Marquinhos, Icardi all the way to Ermeghara. I will tackle 3 of the most promising youngsters of the past season.
Mateo Kovacic- What a prospect this young magician is. Only 19, Internazionale signed the youthful Croation at the beginning of the year. For me, he has been a shining light in an otherwise collapsing Inter. The Nerazzurri have had a ridulous amount of injuries this season; but for players like Mr. Kovacic that has been endlessly benefical.
His strengths ensure that he is a delight to look play. He is an exceedingly strong passer and he dribbles with grace, gliding through the middle of the park. He's created 23 chances in just 13 appearances, which to me displays his creativity. To put it in perspective that's four more than the talented Arsenal star Alex Oxlade Chamberlain in 12 less appearances. Adding to this creativity, he has something we all love to see in a yonug midfielder. He is a great passer of the ball. He averages a 90% accuracy, which is better than Pirlo and Montolivo. He is brilliant.
As I mentioned his dribbling is fantastic. Out of 81 attempted take ons, 57 have been successful which is a 70% success rate! Iniesta's is 56% and Messi's is 60%. That is impressive! Kovacic is a player who excites me greatly. If Inter want to succeed, they should invest some trust in the young Croation! He should be in with a shout to start next season, in my opinion!
Mattia De Sciglio- Paolo Cesare Maldini was one of the greatest defenders of all time. He won the Champions League five times in his career; and played for the Italian national team for 14 years. Age didn’t seem to affect Maldini; as he won the Best Defender trophy at the UEFA Club Football Awards. He was 39 when he won this award. Nowadays people wonder if their could ever be a defender as phenomenal and versatile and Paolo. Well, there’s a chance we may have the answer.
Mattia de Sciglio; who recently played for Italy for the first time; gave two excellent performances. In one of those matches he assisted Balotelli fantastically; but in both matches he defended well. I’m not saying it is certain De Sciglio will take on the Maldini legacy; but in my opinion he certainly has the potential. He’s been great for Milan this season; and he has a massive future ahead of him. De Sciglio was outstanding against Napoli in the thrilling 2-2 draw; he played with great courage and strength; and didn’t let the Partenopei take advantage of his inexperience.
During the match; de Sciglio made an outstanding ten tackles. His opposite at right back, Kevin Constant; made one tackle. The fact he made this many successful tackles shows his immense ability; and what a great defender he already is! Tackling the problem He also made two crucial interceptions during the match, and won the headed duel he went up for. This again displays his efficiency as defender. 10 successful tackles, 2 interceptions, all headers won (Even if it was one just duel). De Sciglio gets the job done; and he does it well. He also completed 91% of his passes. Two of these were key passes and one assisted a goal. We all know that a good attacking ability is important for a full back; and De Sciglio certainly showed he was offensively able.
De Sciglio averages a key pass per game and has created a very impressive 29 chances in 27 appearances for Milan. For the record, that’s more than Lichtsteiner, Abate, and Constant; and the same as Balzaretti. The fact that he is so effective on the front foot is fantastic, and it is another sign that he has the potential to become a world class full back. Mattia, The Creator De Sciglio has also won 77% of his tackles; and 68% of headed duels. This is much better than the fantastic Lichtsteiner; and almost on par with arguably the best full back in the world Phillip Lahm’s 78% tackle success; and much better than his 57% headed duel success. De Sciglio also averages seven defensive actions per game; which is out of this world. Again; if you compare that to the “best full backs in the world” Lahm (3) and Cole’s (5) defensive actions per game, it displays what a brilliant defender he is already; and what a talent he is. He’s also made no defensive errors in the Serie A this season. He’s great defensively going forward; and could be the next Maldini. Although now I think about it; he’s far more similar to Phillip Lahm. If that doesn’t display what a huge prospect he is, I don’t know what does!
Paul Pogba- He’s the next big thing, and he’s going to be one of the best midfielders in the world in a few years. I say “going”, not “could be”; because I have no doubt Pogba will fulfil his potential. He signed for Juventus on a costless from Mancester United in the summer. I said I thought Borja Valero was the Italian signing of the season; but Pogba’s transfer to Juventus could be the transfer of the decade.
Earlier on in the season, Pogba gave a stunning performance against Udinese. He didn’t give the Zebrette a moments rest; as he took the game by the scruff of the neck; and made it his. Alongside his fantastic midfield performance, he scored two wonder goals. The first one was truly out of this world. Pogba showed us what he does best; bustling through the midfield with immense strength but endless grace. The Udinese midfield did not have a chance against the young Frenchman, as he ran through them like they weren’t there.
Pogba beat his man five times in the match, displaying his awesome ability to power through the midfield. Unstoppable Pogba also displayed strength when winning or retrieving the ball; as he won five headers and made two good interceptions. Alongside his great attacking traits; Pogba is a hard worker and he’s very solid defensively. He’s a good ball winning midfielder; and he’s excellent at using the ball efficiently when he wins it. Header away Interceptor Pogba also showed his composure under possession; as he made 54 passes; with an 89% completion rate. One of these was a key pass too. It is always useful if a midfielder is a good passer of the ball; and Pogba is a great passer of the ball. Pogba has scored five goals this season; and created 18 chances. Bear in mind, this guy is barely 20. Pogba has also won 60% of his headed duels, and 69% of his tackles are accurate. Compare that to Vidal; who wins 71% of his tackles; and 50% of his headed duels. That’s quite impressive. Pogba also averages 3 defensive contributions per game; which is more than Pirlo and the same as Vidal. He’s made no defensive errors.
So! There it is! Three Serie A players that excite me! Please like, share and comment! Remember to follow me on Twitter at @CalcioUnito