Scout report: 14 of the most interesting U-23 prospects in Serie B.
An insight into the latest talent pool emerging from the second division in Italy
Why Serie B is important:
Many people know Serie A as the league of football veterans. The mildly intense and tactically rich league is indeed the perfect habitat for physically declined yet experienced players. What happens to the younger players in Italian football? Most of them gain experience at smaller clubs before actually playing for a top club.
In 2011/12, Pescara dominated Serie B with the trio of Verratti, Insigne and Immobile. They were nobodies back then, big names today. The next Verratti could be playing in Serie B right now.
The Pescara trio of Verrati, Immobile and Insigne have been a significant breakthrough in the Serie B talent pool
The most notable prospects to come out of Serie B in recent times are Sandro Tonali and Gianluca Scamacca. Tonali got a move to AC Milan this season while Scamacca is attracting interest from both Juventus and AC Milan. This season Serie B has an abundance of talent guaranteed to attract interest from Serie A.
Tier 1 -
Samuele Ricci - (CM) Empoli / 18
Ricci is currently the hottest talent in Serie B. With AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Fiorentina and Parma all closely watching the 18 year old it’s more than likely that he gets a Serie A move at the end of the season. Ricci plays on the right of Empoli’s midfield. He is a good dribbler, passer and even has good final balls. Ricci is a complete #8 and it’s very hard to pick out a weakness in his game.
Salvatore Esposito - (DM) SPAL / 20
The older brother of Sebastiano Esposito, Salvatore, permanently left Inter for SPAL at a young age. Salvatore is currently one of the best players in Serie B and has successfully escaped his brother’s shadow. Salvatore prefers a deeper midfield position where he can dictate tempo and even create chances with his superb passing range. He averages 53.1 passes per 90 minutes with an 86.7% success rate. SPAL like to play direct football using the wings but Salvatore has managed to adapt his game and develop into a more complete midfielder. Sometimes he can even play as the advanced midfielder in the midfield pivot and still link up well. Defensively Salvatore isn’t very fast but his positioning and strength make up for it.
With 2 goals and 4 assists, Salvatore has contributed to more goals than anyone else in the team. But Esposito’s biggest contribution to SPAL has been through set pieces. 1 of the goals is a free kick and 3 of the 4 assists are corner kicks. With his 28 chances created, Salvatore Esposito ranks 8th in Serie B. He also ranks 14th for total passes completed.
Lorenzo Pirola - (CB) Monza / 18
18 year old Pirola attracted interest from both Chelsea and Manchester City earlier this season. He played for the Inter youth team for the first half of the season but joined Monza on loan in the January transfer window. Pirola is one of the most exciting u-19 talents in Italy. The left footed centre-back has the ability to break the lines with his passing and is a consistent defender off the ball. At his age there is room for improving small weaknesses and it will be interesting to track his development in Serie B.
Tier 2 -
Raoul Bellanova - (RWB) Pescara / 20
Bellanova is a 20 year old right wing-back on loan from Bordeaux. The youngster has played for the national team at every youth level. The interesting thing about Bellanova is that he is a two-way player. One will often see him in the final third of the pitch due to his dynamism but he also likes to cut inside with the ball and dribble into midfield. Stats confirm the eye test as 44% of Bellanova’s passes are directed towards the left side, this number is 21% for the average full back. The right wing-back position covers for Bellanova’s deficiencies in defence, but he still needs to improve on this to make it at the top level.
Davide Bettella - (CB) Monza / 20
Bettella joined Atalanta from Inter for €7.00m and was loaned to Monza. He is currently spending his 3rd season on loan in Serie B. Bettella is an aggressive defender and can easily be attracted to opponent players leaving spaces behind. For a centre-back he is a good ball carrier. Bettella has the characteristics to thrive in a back 3 where an extra defender will cover the spaces he leaves.
Davide Frattesi - (CM) Monza / 21
21 year old Frattesi joined Monza on loan from Sassuolo. His very direct playing style means he likes to dribble long distances and plays accurate long balls. Due to his high work rate he plays as a box to box midfielder but his qualities make him an option on the right wing as well. Frattesi needs to work on his decision making as this seems to be a big weakness for him right now. After 3 seasons on loan in Serie B and multiple appearances for international youth teams Frattesi will hope to be a part of De Zerbi’s Sassuolo squad next season.
Adrian Semper - (GK) Chievo / 23
Chievo signed Semper from Dinamo Zagreb for just €1.5m. He has an 86% save percentage out of 38 shots faced. For the second season in a row he has the 2nd highest save percentage in the league and is bound to get noticed. In last season’s Serie B playoffs Semper didn’t concede from any of the 3 penalties he faced.€1.5M€1.5M€1.5M
Mamadou Coulibaly - (CM) Salernitana / 21
Mamadou Coulibaly joined Salernitana on loan from Udinese in January. Coulibaly’s best attribute is arguably his first touch. You rarely see him take more than 2 touches on the ball before he releases it. The Senegalese is just 21 years old and has experience in both the Serie B and Serie A. Despite his ability on the ball Coulibaly struggles in tight spaces, this makes him an awkward dribbler and limited under pressure.
Simone Muratore - (CM) Reggiana / 22
Muratore signed for Atalanta from Juventus for €7m and was immediately loaned to Reggiana. The 22 year old operates as the deeper midfielder in a double pivot. Muratore is 1.86m tall and uses his body well to protect the ball. This makes him extremely comfortable on the ball and he doesn’t struggle under pressure against Serie B teams, but off the ball Simone’s size can be an issue when his long legs miss the ball and foul the opposition. The youngster lacks discipline on the ball as well. He will often attempt unrealistic long balls that end up in a turnover.
Muratore has the 19th most interceptions in the league (21).
Sebastiano Esposito - (ST) Venezia / 18
18 year old Sebastiano joined SPAL on loan from Inter. Despite his young age (18 is considered too young even for Serie B standards) Sebastiano Esposito joined SPAL with high expectations as everybody knows how talented he is. The deep lying forward has a lot of technical ability for a striker and likes to drop deep into midfield linking up play, beginning attacks. This season he has been a disappointment, failing to contribute to the game when given the chance. Most of it is down to SPAL’s direct playing style which focuses on attacking through the wing backs in the final third. Sebastiano has had games that suit his playing style and he was impressive in those games which proves that the talent is there. Due to his bad form, Inter recalled Sebastiano and he will spend the rest of the season at another Serie B club, Venezia.
Demba Thiam - (GK) SPAL / 22
When SPAL’s #1 goalkeeper Berisha was infected by the coronavirus, Demba Thiam was given an opportunity and he hasn’t let go ever since. Thiam is only 22 years old and is already impressing in a position that requires so much experience. With 40 saves the young keeper has an 81% success rate, the 4th best in the league. Despite Berisha’s return from injury Demba Thiam has held on to his spot in the team.
Tom Van De Looi - (DM) Brescia / 21
Tom is the son of Netherlands u21 manager Erwin Van De Looi. Tom had an easy admission into the Groningen academy when his father worked there but this season he decided to take on a new challenge at Serie B club Brescia. Van De Looi plays at the base of Brescia’s diamond midfield where he can start attacking moves. The 21 year old averages 50.7 passes per game. He has a more direct playing style compared to other players who play his position which has resulted in an 81.1% pass accuracy. 37% of his passes are forward passes and he averages 9.77 long passes per 90 minutes. Both of these stats are way above average and showcase his direct playing style. Van De Looi is an important ball progressor for Brescia and has successfully earned a spot in the Netherlands u21 team.
Massimiliano Mangraviti - (CB) Brescia / 22
Mangraviti is a center-back who can also play as a defensive midfielder. He has the technical ability to carry the ball forward as a defender which is why he can also play in midfield. Mangraviti is also an intelligent defender. His positioning is usually ideal. At the age of 22, Mangraviti has the potential to be a reliable defender for a top club.
Dany Mota - (ST) Monza
A consistent performer for Monza and Portugal u21, Dany Mota has 4 goals and 1 assist in 17 games for Monza. Mota scored 4 goals in his 11 international caps. Mota is originally a striker but the signing of Balotelli has pushed him to the right wing where he continues to perform. The Portuguese youngster attempts the most dribbles per game (6.1) in the league at a 61.9% success rate. Danny Mota is well known for his performances in the Juventus U23 team. Monza signed him for 2.3m€ after he showed himself as one of the best players in the Serie C.
Written by Daniel who you can find on Twitter @/DictatorJorgi
