The resumption of Serie A affairs is upon us and 2016 promises to be a frenetic year on the Italian peninsula.

Below is a list of several undervalued Serie A stars who will be looking to make 2016 a year to remember:

Assane Diousse -- Empoli

The midfielder has been dislodged by the excellent Leandro Paredes in Marco Giampaolo's preferred midfield trident but, at just 18, Diousse is attracting many suitors from around the continent. Blessed with a degree of assurance that belies his tender age, the Senegalese midfielder wields an enviable capacity to dictate possession though could, moving forward, address his worrying disciplinary record.

Šime Vrsaljko -- Sassuolo

Fans of the Neroverdi better cherish the sight of Vrsaljko marauding down the right-hand side as, inevitably, a wealthier side is bound to come calling. Scarcely an unknown entity heading into this season -- the 23-year-old featured for Croatia at the 2014 World Cup -- Vrsaljko has enjoyed a stellar campaign under Eusebio di Francesco and, as attested by his unerring delivery for Sergio Floccari against Verona before the winter hiatus, is a constant menace for opposition rearguards. Capable, too, of cramping the influence of several of the league's finest wideman, small wonder the Croatian is a fixture in many team's of the season.

Pedro Pereira -- Sampdoria

Eight starts appears a slightly premature indication of the youngster's ability but the recent links to high-flying Leicester City in England serve as evidence of Pereira's nascent displays for the Blucerchiati. Deployed sparingly under new coach Vincenzo Montella, the 17-year-old impressed sufficiently under Walter Zenga though was meted a lesson by Fiorentina winger Federico Bernardeschi when the players clashed in a 2-0 defeat in November.

Riccardo Meggiorini -- Chievo

The oldest figure to feature in this list, Meggiorini has been impressive during the Flying Donkeys' various fruitful stretch infront of goal. A mainstay in Rolando Maran's XI while the coach experiments with both Roberto Inglese and Alberto Paloschi in attack, the 30-year-old has engineered six assists for his teammates as Chievo continue to confound expectations.

Umar Sadiq -- Roma

Many will highlight the fragility of Genoa's defending but praise must be directed towards the 18-year-old who, after connecting with William Vainqueur's 89th-minute delivery, accomplished a feat Edin Džeko, signed for £18 million in the summer, hasn't since November 4 against Bayer Leverkusen. As demonstrated by his willingness, albeit sparingly, to utilise Daniele Verde when the chips were down last season, Rudi Garcia won't be deterred to grant the burly forward more game time while the Giallorossi search for a modicum of consistency.

Adam Masina -- Bologna

Italy must have breathed a collective sigh of relief when Masina pledged his allegiance to the Azzurri. Having impressed during his bow in the top-flight, cries for an inclusion in Antonio Conte's Italy squad for the European Championships in June have amplified. At 6ft2, Masina can suppress the most potent widemen on the peninsula while his proclivity for arriving at the far post has yielded several important goals -- namely the opener in a 2-2 draw with Roma.

Masina celebrates his injury time winner against Carpi. (Image source: calciogazzetta.it)

Achraf Lazaar -- Palermo

A beneficiary of Beppe Iachini's penchant for a three-at-the-back system, Lazaar has maintained his impressive form under Davide Ballardini. Though his final delivery is often lacking, few can dispute the 23-year-old's significance to the Rosanero as they forage for results that would propel them back up the Serie A table.

Fernando - Sampdoria

The 23-year-old distanced himself from rumours linking the midfielder to Juventus earlier this month but it's difficult to envisage Fernando sicking around in Genoa much longer as the sharks begin to circle. The Brazilian, though, holds the key to Vincenzo Montella's upheaval at the Marassi, as the Blucerchiati begin their gradual transition into a more possession-orientated outfit. Assured in possession and swift in moving the ball forward, Fernando has proven a shrewd acquisition from Shakhtar Donetsk and, with the exception of talisman Eder, has been the shining light in an otherwise monochrome campaign for Samp.

Alejandro Gomez -- Atalanta

Atalanta's unforeseen surge up the league table has aided Gomez's audition as one of the finest winger's in the league. Having been the best of a bad bunch with Catania during their demotion in 2013, Gomez arrived in Bergamo and, having helped stave off relegation last time out, has been conducive to Edy Reja's side's success this campaign. Scorer against Roma and Napoli, Gomez has netted on five separate occasions and more will be required of the 27-year-old after Maxi Moralez's conspicuous departure.

Piotr Zielinski -- Empoli (loan)

A box-to-box midfielder by trade, Zielinski has thrived in Tuscany as he continues his transformation into one of the most undervalued midfielder's on the peninsula. Giampaolo has augmented Maurizio Sarri's free-flowing blueprint since his summer arrival and the 21-year-old has been central to the Azzurri's attractive style of football. Dovetailing with Riccardo Saponara further forward, Zielinski has laid on four assists this campaign and, as evidenced by his delightful dink through to Massimo Maccarone against Bologna in December, wields an eye for a pass.

Federico Viviani -- Verona

Viviani's exploits since his arrival from Roma may prove insufficient in stemming the Gialloblu's plight, the midfielder should be the first to depart to the Bentegodi should Verona's relegation fears materialise. An elegant midfielder with a dead ball specialist to boot, Viviani's most accomplished showing arrived in a relegation six-pointer with Frosinone in November where, after finding his side 3-0 down within an hour, he rallied to curl home a sumptuous free-kick and deliver an unerring corner into Vangelis Moras in a losing effort.

Daniele Baselli -- Torino

Snap decisions have been unwanted hallmark of Milan in recent times and perhaps no conclusion encapsulated the erroneous nature of the Rossoneri's transfer policy than the decision to pursue Genoa midfielder Andrea Bertolacci over Italy U21 star Daniele Baselli in the summer. True enough, the 23-year-old struck the crudest of blows by netting the equaliser when the side's clashed at the Stadio Olimpico in October and his five goals this term speak volumes of Baselli's self-belief.

Baselli celebrates his goal against Verona in September. (Image source: Gazzetta World)

Marten de Roon -- Atalanta

The Dutchman has provided the platform the likes of Moralez, Gomez and German Denis to flourish with his dynamism in midfield. de Roon's cross-field passes have become a hallmark of his game while the 24-year-old, formerly of Heerenveen, scarcely shirks his defensive responsibilities.

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About the author
Craig Vickers
Milk, honey and Andy Murray. Email: craigvickers1998[at]outlook.com