New Delhi: The 2024–2025 Serie A season is drawing near, as teams are preparing for yet another demanding campaign that promises to be exciting and full of surprises. The summer transfer window has certainly created a buzz as there are many new faces looking to make an instant impact for their respective sides. However on the other hand, there are players who are under tremendous amount of pressure, while their goal is pretty much the same- perform on the pitch and save your spot in the dressing room.
As we enter a new season, every player in the league feels some pressure, and this one in particular could be a turning point for a number of players whose careers are on the line. We have witnessed some of the most talented footballers compete in the Italian top division, but not all of them get the opportunity to exhibit their skills in one of the top leagues in the world. Sometimes players aren’t able to give their best performance for a variety of reasons.
It might be the hype after a good campaign which raises the expectations of the fans to an extent that the players are unable to bear, an injury that has limited their production, or just the fact that players occasionally find it difficult to adjust to new surroundings, which has an impact on their on-field performances.
Certain players haven’t quite had the impact that was expected from them. As we head towards the next Serie A campaign, let’s have a look at some of these players who really need to make the most out of their opportunities and play a better brand of football on the pitch to ensure that their respective clubs retain them.
Daniele Rugani
Daniele Rugani came up the Juve ranks after creating an impression playing for the U-19 Juve squad back in 2012/13 season. Now at the age of 30, Rugani looks to revive his career after signing a contract until 2026 with the Old Lady. However, the Italian defender did make 17 league appearances in the 2023/24 season, producing a good shift for Juventus.
Rugani was never considered as a starter due to the presence of centre backs with big resumes at Juve including the likes of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chielini, who were the clear favourites to start for a club of such high stature. However, Rugani remained patient and loyal to Juventus as the 2024/25 Serie A campaign would be his ninth campaign with the Old Lady.
Rugani now has the chance to prove his worth to this Juventus side as now he will be considered as one of the veterans of the team who could guide the defence whenever he is given the chance to. He will be looking to make an impact as he will be willing to stay at the club where he has spent majority of his career.
Giacomo Raspadori
Napoli’s season turned out to be a complete disaster last time around and one player that really needs to pick himself up and perform after the likely departure of Victor Osimhen is Giacomo Raspadori. There are talks that Napoli want Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea and considering his form from the Euros, it seems like the Belgian is nowhere close to his peak and it is important to understand the situation of Giacomo Raspadori who permanently joined the Napoli side last year.
The Italian may not be the most well known player but he is certainly a player that can do a lot of damage to the opposition. Raspadori had a quite season last time around, where he managed to score just five goals in 37 Serie A appearances. Besides, the absence of Victor Osimhen was clearly felt after he was ruled out for a few matches due to an injury. Raspadori was expected to replace the Nigerian striker and be Napoli’s target man but he didn’t quite make the impact that was needed.
However, with the new season unfolding, Raspadori needs to make an impact as it looks likely that he will be getting more game time under Antonio Conte.
Alexis Saelemaekers
Saelemaekers has had his ups and downs for AC Milan as the Belgian winger will be looking to make an impact in the 2024/25 Serie A campaign. Belgium have a history of producing some of the most talented wingers over the years and Alexis Saelemaekers is certainly one of those players. Saelemaekers spent his 2023/24 campaign at Bologna, where he managed to get six goal contributions throughout the campaign.
After a decent loan spell, he will be looking to make the most out of the opportunities that he gets under Paolo Fonseca. However, the Belgian has to make an impact and it has to be quick as the initial stages of the campaign might prove crucial for the winger. An early impact might just give him the opportunity to prove his worth to the team. He needs to make the most out of these opportunities as they might be limited considering the fact that he plays in the same position as Rafael Leao and Chistian Pulisic.
Tammy Abraham
Expectations were high when Tammy Abraham shocked everyone after having a terrific first Serie A campaign for Roma after an underwhelming spell at Chelsea. The English centre forward scored a total of 17 league goals in his first Serie A campaign which truly created a buzz about his further success at Roma. However, things haven’t quite worked out for the 26 year old as last two seasons have been a complete nightmare for Abraham.
Over the course of last two seasons, the English forward has missed a total of 49 games for Roma due to injuries. He suffered a cruciate ligament injury during the final stages of 2022/23 campaign which sidelined him for 285 days. Ever since, things haven’t quite worked out for the former Chelsea player as last season he was only featured in eight league games where he managed to score once.
Abraham was linked with AC Milan this summer but after the signing of Alvaro Morata, the Rossoneri have stopped looking for another striker which means Abraham will be staying at Roma for next season. Currently he looks fit and ready to prove himself on the pitch yet again but it won’t be an easy task competing with Roma’s new goal machine, Artem Dovbyk for the first choice striker’s spot.
Luka Jovic
Looking back at 2018/19 season, Luka Jovic was having the season of his career playing for Eintracht Frankfurt, where he scored 27 goals in all competitions and was considered one of the most lethal strikers in Europe. Fast forward to 2023/24 season, Jovic has struggled to find his rhythm and looks like a shadow of his former self.
Ever since his move to Real Madrid, the Serbian forward has struggled to get his ground running as he has only managed to maintain his reputation as a second choice attacker in a squad. However, Jovic needs to find the same rhythm and perform better than what he did in 2023/24 season for Milan, where he managed to score six goals in 23 appearances.
Now that the signing of Alvaro Morata has been confirmed, it will be interesting to see if Foncesa would put Jovic along side the veteran striker, playing with a classic formation involving two centre forwards upfront. This might prove futiful for the team as Morata’s experience would only help Jovic grow further and this might turn out to be a formidable duo for Milan.
There are a few players who need to up their game and perform in the next Serie A campaign in order to make sure that their respective clubs retain them. Here’s a look at some of these players who will be looking to make an impact in the next Serie A campaign. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today