5 Africans to watch out for in the Italian Serie A

by Staff Reporter

Wednesday Oct 05, 2022. 13:00

With names such as Mohamed Salah and Kalidou Koulibaly coming to mind, the Italian Serie A has been home to some of the finest African talents in recent years. Here are five of the best African players currently plying their trade in Serie A football.

Victor Osimhen – Napoli

While he may be one of Serie A’s most popular forwards at the moment, Osimhen has begun getting recognition from club’s around Europe. Osimhen is a well-rounded forward with attributes such pace, power and ability to score goals being foremost in his arsenal.

Having been linked with big money moves to clubs such as Liverpool and Manchester United, Osimhen could once again be the talk of the town should he impress in the current season.

Musa Barrow – Bologna

The 23-year-old was reportedly on the radar of Brighton & Hove Albion towards the end of the recent transfer window, however, a move failed to materialise for the Gambian.

Barrow has been a regular for Bologna this season, recording back-to-back 90 minutes games before the International break. With Premier League sides keeping a close eye on the attacker, Barrow’s pace, skill, power and ability to slot in different positions makes him an interesting player to watch.

Felix Arena-Gyan – AS Roma

Despite making one appearance this season, Arena-Gyan remains a top prospect in Serie A football. Making the switch to Cremonese last month, the 19-year-old will be hoping to emulate the dazzling displays he put on for Roma last season, where he scored eight goals in 27 games.

The centre-forward is a handful to deal with on his day, possessing the ability to hold up play while having the pace to evade tight-marking defenders.

Ismael Bennacer – AC Milan

Bennacer’s tenacity, energy and technical prowess gave Milan a dynamic edge in midfield en-route to their league title charge.

The Algerian midfielder was one of the best players in Serie A football last season as his displays in midfield reportedly caught the eye of Liverpool, who were looking to add to their midfield roster. It remains to be seen what the immediate future looks like for the 24-year-old but supporters can be sure that Bennacer will give 100% every time he sets foot on the pitch.

Isaac Success – Udinese

While the striker may not have lit up the goalscoring charts this season, Success’ remains a handful for defenders on his day. The Nigerian missed 13 games of football last season, 12 of which were owing to various injuries and illnesses.

As a regular in the current campaign, fans will hope to see more of the imposing attacker, who is known for bullying defenders with his strength and powerful running on the ball.