As we are past the halfway point in the season, some teams may be looking towards the summer for potential recruitment. Despite the season not being over, many players have had seasons that have seen their stock grow tremendously. One league that is constantly producing top players is Italy’s Serie A. In this era of financial wealth in football, Premier League teams need to scout and look to sign some of the growing talents seen playing in Italy today. Here are a few examples of players Premier League teams need to sign in summer.
Premier League Teams Should be Looking at These Serie A Players
Duvan Zapata
We begin with a player who has exploded into mainstream media this season. Duvan Zapata, currently playing for Atlanta on loan from Sampdoria, has totalled 21 goals in 32 games this year, with 16 coming in the league. The powerful Colombian has shown his class this year, combining his strength and aerial ability with clinical finishing as Atlanta find themselves in fifth place, ahead of Roma and Lazio. He also finds himself third in the scoring charts behind Fabio Quagliarella and Cristiano Ronaldo.
His current deal sees Atlanta have the option to sign him for £12 million after they already shelled out £14 million on his current loan deal. However, with a lot of football still to play, his value may rise again as he could be a striker to take teams outside the top six to the next level. He is one to keep your eye on, for sure.
Kalidou Koulibaly
This Senegalese defender has caught the eye of many a top club for the past few seasons. Koulibaly has been slowly making a name for himself in recent seasons as a powerful but composed centre back. Italy have no shortage of top defenders, but this man seems to stand out as the best of the current crop right now. Towering over most players at 6’5″, he is a physical beast who is not only quick and strong but draws comparisons to Virgil van Dijk.
Any top six side needing a centre-back will be sure to be linked with this man in summer. Manchester United and Chelsea have already been heavily linked, and he is likely not to be any cheaper than £70 million having signed a new long-term contract at the start of the season. Whoever does sign him will have one of the best centre-backs in world football in their team.
Suso
The former Liverpool man is currently shining in Italy with AC Milan. Perhaps a lack of experience and lack of game time restricted his development but, since he has been in Italy, he has grown to show his pure technical ability. He is a top playmaker in Italy and he boasts stats this season of five goals and eight assists in the league.
Always one of Milan’s best performers, his passing, dribbling, finishing and ability to score from distance makes him a very dangerous attacker. His style of play could fit in with a number of teams in the Premier League, most likely Arsenal, Liverpool and both Manchester clubs. He could potentially be a replacement for Juan Mata, who is past his prime at 30-years-old. Nevertheless, thr Spaniard could be available for less than £50 million and would be a fine coup for most teams in the league.
Milan Škriniar
The 24-year-old Slovakian has grown to become one of the best defenders in Serie A. Highly linked with a move to the Premier League, he could be the next main target for the top six clubs if Koulibaly is taken off the market.
Problems could rise as he is primed to sign a new contract which would keep him at the club until 2024, meaning his stock is going to continue to rise. Add in the fact that Diego Godin will join the club on a free next season, who would be the perfect defence partner for Skriniar and Inter. Despite that, he is a wanted man and Inter will have to brace themselves for some serious interest in the summer.
Stefano Sensi
This 23-year-old made his debut for the national team in November and has been recognised a rising young talent in Italy. Currently playing for Sassuolo, his diminutive figure has been likened to other midfielders such as Jorginho, Marco Verrati and Andrea Pirlo. A calming presence in midfield, he is a stylish pass master in midfield, offering the team a deep-lying playmaker which they can go through.
Burdened with controlling the midfield, his passing stats this season show 1.5 key passes per game, which is better than Fernandinho, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante. He also shows a pass success rate of 90.4%, which is better than the three aforementioned players plus Fabinho and Paul Pogba.
A player that could perhaps move to a club who are battling to break into the top six, his passing and vision could be perfect for Wolves, Bournemouth or Everton. However, the intensity and the physicality of the league may be too much. Despite some hype around him, he needs to prove himself for both club and country and there’s no denying his ability on the ball.
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