There’s a certain type of player who makes you lean forward in your seat. Not because you expect them to score every time they touch the ball, but because you know something interesting is about to happen. They might make a defender stumble; they might open a passing lane where none existed just seconds before; the Stadio Olimpico might collectively gasp as he makes the ball seemingly defy the laws of physics on a whim.
We’re at the end of our annual U-23 Countdown here at Chiesa di Totti, and our top-ranked
prospect can’t surprise any Roma fan, because he’s already the kind of player I just described above. Although he spent some time toiling in Paulo Dybala’s shadow last season, the second half of Roma’s 2024/2025 season—when Roma was at its best, when Roma nearly achieved the impossible and ended up just inches away from a return to the Champions League—showed fans worldwide that a new star wasn’t emerging in Rome: that star is already there. Now, with a new offense surrounding him and a new manager who is known for turning attackers into superstars, it’s really only a question of just how high this player can climb, and how long he’ll do so in a Roma kit.
Number One: Matías Soulé Malvano
Age: 22
Position: MF/FW
Shades of: Francesco Totti, Paulo Dybala, Isco, Angel Di Maria
Who is He?
Born in Mar del Plata in 2003, Matías Soulé Malvano worked his way from Kimberley to Vélez Sarsfield before Juventus nabbed him in 2020. He got a taste of first-team football in Turin, only to truly explode onto the scene on loan at Frosinone in 2023–24, where he racked up 11 goals and 3 assists in 36 matches.
That breakout season convinced Roma to act quickly, and Juventus’ financial issues allowed the Giallorossi to seal a permanent transfer in July 2024 for around €25 million. He arrived with a reputation as one of the most exciting young attackers in Italy, but reputation only carries you so far in the cauldron of the Olimpico.
While he didn’t immediately slot into the starting eleven last season, it didn’t take long for the Giallorossi managers (all three of them last season—yikes) to recognize what they had. By October, Soulé was a fixture on the right side of Roma’s attack, his left foot providing both balance to the front line and a creative spark the team had been missing. He grew in confidence as the year went on, excelling in Claudio Ranieri’s system in particular, learning how to handle the physicality of Serie A defenses while leading the attack for a big side, and with those performances, he proved that his Frosinone numbers weren’t a fluke or the result of being a big fish in a small pond.
Fast forward to the end of the 2024/2025 season and Soulé has officially gone from promising wonderkid to indispensable starter. He finished the 24/25 campaign with 5 goals and 5 assists in Serie A, but those raw numbers only tell part of the story. His 8.3 non-penalty expected goals plus assisted goals was good for third-best for the club, behind only Artem Dovbyk and Paulo Dybala; he also created more chances than any other Roma player under 25, ranked among the league leaders in progressive carries, and strung together an mouthwatering run of 6 goal contributions in his last 7 starts. His final-day masterclass against Torino, which featured an assist, a near-goal, and several defense-splitting passes, made it clear that Roma’s future starts and ends with the Argentine forward.
What Can He Do?
Soulé’s first Roma campaign showed he can already do a bit of everything.
Last season, he logged 27 Serie A appearances (22 starts) and played 39 games across all competitions. While hitting double-digit goal contributions in your first season as a starter for a big club is nothing to sneeze at, the underlying numbers paint him as more than just a flashy dribbler who scored and assisted five; they also show that he’s one of the most productive young creators in Italy:
- 51 chances created in Serie A (second on the team).
- xA: 3.44, which is top tier among U-23 players in the league.
- Successful dribbles: 35, often in high-leverage attacking areas.
- Pass accuracy: 87.3%, which is in the 91st percentile for attacking midfielders and wingers, and quite impressive for a player asked to take risks in the final third.
Beyond the (excellent) numbers, there’s the simplest test you can administer on a player: the gut check. With apologies to Billy Beane and the Moneyball fans out there, stats can only take you so far. Roma fans haven’t had many players recently outside of Paulo Dybala who make you feel that magic is about to happen when they receive the ball. Soulé gave Roma hope that once Dybala hangs up his boots, there will be someone who can carry on the legacy and lead Roma into the future.
What Can He Become?
This past season sets a floor for what we should expect from Matías Soulé from now on. Soulé has the tools and temperament to grow into Roma’s next true superstar. His game isn’t built on speed that fades, but on vision, touch, and anticipation, which age like fine wine. The Giallorossi may not get to see that wine age to perfection, but we can at least enjoy the bottle until a Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain comes knocking.
Soulé has the swagger, craft, and consistency to be a long-term star in Serie A and beyond, and unlike some would-be superstars before him, he looks truly comfortable in the Roman environment, as if he relishes the stage rather than tolerates it. If he could handle the 2024/2025 Roma season, I’m confident he can handle just about anything.
Roma doesn’t get many players who change the way you watch a game. When they do, you just have to hope that management hangs on tight for as long as possible. Matías Soulé is already one of those players, and at age 22, it’s clear that he’s just getting started.
