Reminiscently to every other season, some stars manage to fulfill their promise while others fail to live up to expectations. But one of the most exciting factors about the beautiful game is the discovery of new talent who emerge out of nowhere and become pillars for their clubs. Therefore, it’s now time to take a closer look at the Top 10 revelations of the 2021/22 Serie A season.
NB: By revelation, we simply mean a player who has been a relative unknown on the Italian scene prior to the current campaign. It doesn’t necessarily has to be his debut season in Serie A, perhaps he made few appearances in the past, but this has to be the first season where he make himself noticed on the big stage.
10- Moustapha Cissé (Atalanta)
Including a player who only has 25 minutes of Serie A under his belt is sure a questionable call, but the Guinean’s story is just too good to pass-by.
Only a few weeks ago, the 18-year-old was still playing his football in Italy’s eight-tier division with a team comprised of refugees.
Luckily for the talented striker, Atalanta snapped him up in February, and an injury crisis in the senior team allowed him to make his debut against Bologna in March, and he repaid his new club’s confidence by scoring a late winner.
What a fairytale story!
9- Andrea Cambiaso (Genoa)
Even within their most miserable campaigns, Genoa can still launch the career of a young starlet. The left-back has been repeatedly sent on loan in the past, but has finally managed to stake his claim in the Port City.
The 22-year-old is blessed with an attacking prowess that renders him a major threat on the left flank. He has already produced one goal and four assists this season, and attracted the interest of the big Serie A boys, including Juventus, Inter and Milan.
Even if the Grifone succumb to relegation at the end of the campaign, someone will surely throw the Italian an escape rope.
8- Raoul Bellanova (Cagliari)
Similarly to Genoa, Cagliari have also been presenting the Calcio world with new up-and-comers despite their struggles on the pitch.
Chief among those is Raoul Bellanova who has made the right flank his in spite of some stern competition (especially from Gabriele Zappa, who coincidentally was one of the main revelations of the previous Serie A campaign).
The Italian right-back has been heavily linked with Juventus in the last few weeks. The Isolani are expected to buy his outrights from Bordeaux before offloading him for a significant profit.
7- Destiny Udogie (Udinese)
Speaking of young wingbacks who are gaining the attention of the top Serie A clubs, Destiny Udogie is enjoying a fine season at Udinese.
The 19-year-old was the author of a controversial goal in his side’s draw against Milan and has been impressing on the left flank since the start of the campaign.
A promising future awaits the Italo-Nigerian talent.
6- Beto (Udinese)
From one Udinese player to another. At the age of 24, Beto might be the oldest on the list, but the striker was completely unknown on the Italian and European scenes prior to this campaign, which makes him eligible to the list.
Although he’s been suffering from a goal-drought as of late, we can’t expect too much from a relatively inexperienced striker in his first Serie A campaign.
Beto’s goals have been incredibly important for the Zebrette earlier this season. With his strength, composure and finishing touch, he has all the making of a true Serie A hitman.
Bonus: Empoli Bunch
Kudos to Empoli for building a young and exciting squad filled with special talents. The Serie B champions can fill a list on their own.
Therefore, we decided to recognize a bunch of Aurelio Andreazzoli’s men in one paragraph, as they all deserve a mention in a list dedicated Serie A revelations.
The Empoli host includes goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, defender Mattia Viti, left-back Fabiano Parisi and midfielders Kristjan Asllani and Szymon Żurkowski.
Did we miss anyone?
5- Arthur Theate (Bologna)
After spending time developing in some of the most renown Belgian clubs, Arthur Theate is taking his football to the next level in Italy. We’re talking about a solid center back who is a force in the air and has a knack for goals.
The 21-year-old’s impressive performances at Bologna have earned him his debut with Belgium’s senior team back in November.
We will likely see the rising defender playing his football at a bigger club in the next few years.
4- Josip Brekalo (Torino)
Despite playing at the Bundesliga for years, Josip Brekalo is only making himself noticed this season during his loan spell at Torino.
The attacking midfielder is brilliant on the ball and has the natural ability to link the lines, dribble past his marker and score goals.
The Croatian exploded on the Serie A scene and has the full trust of his manager and compatriot Ivan Juric.
It remains to be seen if their collaboration will be renewed for another campaign, because the talented player’s performances has surely attracted several suitors.
3- Felix Afena-Gyan (Roma)
Since scoring a jaw-dropping brace at Genoa in round 13, the young striker has cemented himself as one of the main revelations of the Serie A campaign.
Even if he hasn’t been able to maintain a consistent form throughout the campaign, the fact that he earned José Mourinho’s trust while older and more experienced players failed is enough to warrant the credit.
2- Nedim Bajrami (Empoli)
Despite mentioning the Empoli starlets in a segment above, Nedim Bajrami rightfully deserves a paragraph on his own after staking his claim as one of the absolute best revelations of the current Serie A campaign.
The attacking midfielder is a natural Trequartista, which has unfortunately become a dying-breed in Italian football. This term, the Albanian has already scored six goals and provided his teammates with five assists.
Signing the number 10 would be a bargain for any top side looking to add some creativity to the squad.
1- Davide Frattesi (Sassuolo)
After spending several campaigns on loan in Serie B, Sassuolo finally decided to recall Davide Frattesi following Manuel Locatelli’s departure. Luckily for the Neroverdi, the 22-year-old has immediately succeeded in filling the hole left by the Juventus man’s exit.
The Roman possesses everything a coach would want in a box-to-box midfielder: pace, agility, skills, a die-hard attitude and even a finishing touch.
This Sunday, Serie A fans will witness the much-anticipated Derby d’Italia, but in the summer, Juventus and Inter are reportedly preparing for another battle, this time for Frattesi’s precious signature.