There are few things more exciting in football than seeing a footballer with a unique profile. Imagine a lanky, press resistant, left-footed midfielder standing at 6’6, with excellent technical ability and close control, a profile so rare you have to witness it to believe it.   Yet, out of France where midfielders abound, emerged a…

Club: Empoli Nationality: Italy Position(s): CM, AM Preferred Foot: Right Height: 5’10”/178cm Age: 21 Strengths: agility, dribbling, passing variance, duels, defensive work-rate, press resistance, athleticism Areas of Development: application, strength   It seems like every year, there’s a new interior midfielder who’s leaving one of Serie A’s smaller teams and taking his talents to one…

From Mike Maignan to Mattèo Guendouzi to Adrien Rabiot, we’ve seen quite a few players go from developing in Paris Saint-Germain’s academy to excelling in the Italian top-flight, and the latest player to make the jump and excel in Serie A is Yacine Adli.   Born in the Parisian suburb of Vitry-sur-Seine to Algerian parents,…

All of the visuals in this article were made with the usage of Once Video Analyzer Elite. Download Once Sport here and use our discount code BTL10 to get an extra 10% discount off your purchase!   The importance placed on the defensive midfield position has arguably never been higher. The role’s most outstanding player, Rodri, won…

Lazio are enjoying a resurgence this season under new coach Marco Baroni and currently find themselves in fifth place with 31 points from 15 matches, level on points with Fiorentina and Inter (who have a game in hand), four points behind Napoli and six behind Atalanta (both of whom have played one more match than…

In a year filled with impressive displays by African footballers within and beyond the shores of the continent, few have shone as brightly as Nigeria and Atalanta talisman, Ademola Lookman. The 27-year-old forward has been a revelation since making the move to Serie A, combining breathtaking skill, clinical finishing, and relentless determination to cement his…

All of the visuals in this article were made with the usage of Once Video Analyzer Elite. Download Once Sport here and use our discount code BTL10 to get an extra 10% discount off your purchase!   Strong, intelligent and, technically astute, these are qualities often associated with some of the best midfielders in the…

Sardinian-born international Nicolò Barella came from humble beginnings, being a product of the youth system in the region’s capital Cagliari, who at the time were under the reign of Zdeněk Zeman, who rejoined the club after their spell with club legend Gianfranco Zola. First-team football for Barella was not on the cards for the young…