The ongoing Serie A season is a major one for many football clubs. Juventus will be looking to go back to winning ways, while Inter will try to repeat as champions. Other clubs are going to be breathing down their neck. Milan, Roma, and Lazio will be happy to use any chance to join in on the title race. While there is a lot of unpredictability around who will win the championship, one thing is for sure: all these teams are filled with young talent. Here are the three young stars to look out for in this Serie A season.
3 young Serie A stars
Sandro Tonali, Milan
If there was ever a player to replace Andrea Pirlo, it is this young man. Tonali is a truly great footballer, even at the young age of 21. His ability to control the midfield is simply mesmerizing. The comparisons between him and Pirlo do not stop with looks. He is adept at reading the game, as he seems to pull all the strings of the whole team when playing. It is his passing, vision, and elegance while playing that gets the whole Milan team performing better.
His career started in Brescia, where he made his debut in 2017 when he was just 17. Fast forward four years later and Tonali is the first name on the player's sheet for Milan, one of the biggest clubs in the world. His play week in and week out baffles analysts, who are in disbelief of his maturity at such a young age.
It is also great that he is at a club such as Milan. Right now, Milan is rebuilding and needs young players like Tonali and teammate Brahim Diaz to step up. However, Milan is also a club of amazing stature, thus Tonali can get the attention his play on the field deserves. If he was still at Brescia or with a mid-tier club, there is every chance that he would be overlooked. Tonali is the future of Italian football and another midfielder from this country, which has a knack for creating amazing players in the middle of the park.
Alessandro Bastoni, Inter Milan
Inter Milan won their first Serie A title in 10 years last season and did so in a great way. They were 12 points clear of city rivals Milan and had the league wrapped up a couple of games before the end of the season. Of course, it was the performances of Romelu Lukaku and their amazing midfield that got all the headlines. Their defense was also great, conceding only 35 goals in 38 games. In that third of the field, Inter was absolutely impenetrable — and Bastoni is a huge reason why.
In a three-man formation at the back, Bastoni dominated with Milan Skriniar and Stefan de Vrij. While both Skriniar and de Vrij can be considered veterans, Bastoni is an up-and-comer who takes no prisoners when facing opponents. His 6-foot-4 frame that is filled out to the max is not something any attacker wants to see in front of himself.
However, his abilities do not stop with his frame. He has a great feel for the game, especially for the defender, which is key for Inter. The Nerazzurri like to play from the back, so his passing ability is perfectly made for that kind of tactic. At the age of 22, he has already featured in 91 fixtures in Serie A. He will truly only be better with playing time, which he gets plenty with Inter.
Dejan Kulusevski, Juventus
Juventus is clearly going through a crisis right now. After losing the title last year and being eliminated from the Champions League in the early stages in the last few years, Cristiano Ronaldo left for Manchester United. Now, there is a huge gap of 30 goals that has to be covered every year. While Juve still has Morata and Dybala and added Moise Kean in the summer, it is up to the young forwards to help out.
On one wing, Italian superstar youngster Federico Chiesa will be operating. On the other wing, however, there is Dejan Kulusevski, who is just exploding with potential. The Swedish 21-year-old will be key if Juve still wants to challenge for titles in this upcoming season. He was brought in from Atalanta in January 2020 but spent the season in Parma on loan. While he played incredibly in Parma, he was not really able to replicate the exact form in Juve. However, now he will have a ton of space.
Kulusevski is a winger, but he can play any position in the final third. He also played as a central midfielder, center forward, and right midfielder. He can help solve Juventus' midfield issues, as he is very tall and strong, and can play a midfield role to perfection. On the right, he can use his pace and athleticism to lose defenders, if given enough space. Juventus should look to utilize him to the best of his abilities, so they can unlock his full potential.
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