With the reset of the previous season, Serie A begins tomorrow with a new set of promoted teams and renewed expectations. But while the concept of a team cannot be understated in football, there are some players who stand out for their clubs and sometimes, single-handedly drive their team’s results.
So let us look at Serie A’s Most Valuable Players (MVPs) from each of the 20 clubs this season:
Marco Sau – Benevento
The newly entered team will vest its hopes on the striking abilities of Marco Sau, who transferred from Sampdoria. With a traditional tactical style deployed at Benevento, they will look to Sau to lead the line. And considering he got 13 goals in the Serie B last season, he will want to see the team upwards of the relegation zone.
Simy Nwankwo – Crotone
A quintessential target man standing tall at 1.98m, Simy will be the attacking force for Crotone this season. He scored 13 goals in the Serie B last season and has often shouldered the responsibility to win the games.
Emmanuel Gyasi – Spezia
A winger of Ghanian origin, Gyasi scored 9 goals in 37 games last season in Serie B. Incredibly quick who can play on both flanks, he will be crucial to Spezia’a hopes of survival and the team will need his creativity and goals.
Andreas Cornelius – Parma
On loan from Atalanta with a good physical figure and height, Danish striker Cornelius scored 13 goals in the Italian top-flight last season. Although linked with many clubs, Parma will hope his stay at the club will see them achieve mid-table safety.
Goran Pandev – Genoa
Veteran striker at the age of 37 and still going strong captaining the Macedonia national side, Pandev has been one of the long-timers in Serie A. His tally last season was 9 goals but will look to improve slightly more to take Genoa to a more respectable position.
Andrea Belotti – Torino
If there is one person that Torino have to thank for staying in the top flight in the last few seasons, the one man is Andrea Belotti. Scoring 16 goals to a side that nearly got relegated is testament to his abilities. His powerful shooting and heading ability make him a vital asset to Torino’s hopes of staying in the Serie A.
Fabio Quagliarella – Sampdoria
Popularly known as the man who ‘beat Cristiano Ronaldo’ to the top scorer award in 18/19, Quagliarella has been a constant in Italian football for quite some time now. He has been scoring 10+ goals for the last four seasons now, and if he replicates the same form yet again, then rest assured that Sampdoria are in great hands.
Joao Pedro – Cagliari
Unless you are a great midfielder, there is a small chance you are scoring 15+ goals in any top-flight season. But interestingly, attacking midfielder Joao Pedro shattered the myth and was a driving force for Cagliari last season with his 18 goals last season.
Kevin Lasagna – Udinese
Recently earning a call-up to the Italian national team, it was a good last outing for Kevin Lasagna. Although he scored only 10 goals last season, he is the player Udinese look up to with Rodrigo De Paul creating the chances for the team.
Ricardo Orsolini – Bologna
The ex-Juventus man has been solid since joining Bologna, and even last season scored 8 goals for the club. Possessing a variety of skills and tricks, Orsolini will be looking forward to taking Bologna to the top half of the table.
Federico Chiesa – Fiorentina
Dubbed the next big thing in Italy, there has been no shortage of suitors for Chiesa. However, pledging his loyalty for the La Viola so far, the winger scored 10 goals in the previous campaign. Known for cutting onto his left foot and finding angles to shoot in tight spaces, Chiesa will be an important attacking figure for the club.
Samuel Di Carmine – Verona
With quite an influence at Hellas Verona, Di Carmine has been a consistent figure at the club. Scoring 9 goals last term, he has experience helping teams with promotion challenges. Verona will once again want to finish in the top half, and Carmine will be that player to help them.
Francesco Caputo – Sassuolo
Age is just a number for the 33-year-old centre forward Francesco Caputo. Considered a particularly good player to have for a fast counter-attacking team, Caputo formed quite the partnership with Jeremie Boga last season. His work rate, movement and pace to make darting runs into the box and finish chances is what led to his first 21 goals tally and almost led Sassuolo to Europa League football.
Lorenzo Pellegrini – Roma
The dynamic Italian midfielder has a lot left to prove in his career, but he is already leading Roma to some great results. With an ability to switch modes based on opposition, his work rate and pressing determination alongside his vision make him a complete player. He will be looking to better his 1 goal and 9 assists tally from last season and improve further.
Ciro Immobile – Lazio
It is hard to see beyond talismanic striker Ciro Immobile. The enigmatic forward scored 30 goals in 38 league games last season. Alert and sharp with his decision-making, Immobile has performed consistently for Lazio over the last few seasons. Expect him to be up there leading the charge for the Serie A Golden Boot as well.
Papu Gomez – Atalanta
Ageing like fine wine, captain Papu Gomez is the one to watch out for. A model citizen who leads by example, Papu Gomez scored 7 goals and 16 assists in 38 games last season. With the knowledge and ability to play anywhere across the frontline, he will look to get into the tight spaces and unlock defence with his quick movement and one-touch passing.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Milan
Showcasing his class and ability at a variety of clubs, there is no doubt that ‘lion’ Zlatan Ibrahimovic cannot be compared with other human footballers! At 38 years of age, he was impressive with 10 goals and 5 assists last season. What makes Zlatan so effective, is his nous to get into the right areas and pull the trigger. He has built a solid partnership with Hakan Calhanoglu, and that only serves Milan well.
Lorenzo Insigne – Napoli
A long-standing member of the squad and captain, Lorenzo Insigne. The 5’3″ winger might be diminutive in nature but has the knack of zipping past defenders and curling the ball into the top corners with fierce shots. With a return of 8 goals and 6 assists last season, the Italian international will want to improve on this tally and perform even better.
Romelu Lukaku – Inter Milan
What a rise from the ashes it has been for Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku. Often criticized during his time at Manchester United, the striker really found a rhythm under Conte – who has long adored him. With a tally of 23 goals last season, Lukaku can play according to the situation. With a mighty presence, he has produced some powerful and unstoppable shots at times. The aim for him will be to improve that goal tally this season.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Juventus
Who else, but Cristiano Ronaldo? It only seems like yesterday that Ronaldo embraced the football world and put his skills on show. At 35, where most players suffer a sharp decline, he is fitter and hungrier than ever. The fact that his numbers read 31 goals and 5 assists in 38 games last season, shows how high his standards have continued to be over the years. In this new-gen team, he will look to be the focal point, and under Pirlo can finally start playing the centre forward role – which he does to such a devastating effect.
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