Roma invested in two young defenders last summer: Jan Ziółkowski and Daniele Ghilardi. While hesitant to use either of them, you got the sense that Gian Piero Gasperini saw something in Ziółkowski earlier, but his preference seemed to change as the year went on. By the end of the season, it was Ghilardi who had the edge; thus, it’s no coincidence that he ends up one place above Ziółkowski in the countdown.
But what was it about the Italian that made him grow into his new responsibilities, and can
he take his steady rise further?
Number five: Daniele Ghilardi
Age: 23
Position: Centre-back
Shades of: Alessandro Nesta, Philippe Mexes, Riccardo Calafiori (centre-back version)
Who is he:
Ghilardi’s career so far has been characterised by incremental steps forward. His loan spells away from Hellas Verona, who he joined from Fiorentina’s academy in 2022, were at progressively higher levels, taking him from Serie C to Serie B. Then, he made into Serie A when he was reintegrated at the Bentegodi.
His latest progression last summer was to step up to the European level with Roma, but it has been his most gradual so far. Of the senior outfield players to sign for the club last summer, Ghilardi was the last to receive his competitive debut. His first start in Serie A for Roma didn’t come until the 19th game of the season, effectively the midway mark. Prior to that, he’d made only four brief cameos off the bench in the league and one 90-minute outing in the Europa League.
But he began to blossom once he got his chance. That first start in Serie A was the first of 18 consecutive league games in which Ghilardi played a part, and his playing time increased in Europe as well. He wasn’t exactly pulling up trees, but all of a sudden, it made you wonder whether something had been there all along.
What Can He Do?
Once Ghilardi got his chance, he occasionally showed why Roma had signed him in the first place. By the time his permanent transfer was triggered, it wasn’t seen as an inconvenience but as something to be grateful for—a testament to how he improved in the first few months of 2026.
A calm defender who reads the flight of the ball well in the air—to nod it down rather than win a powerful duel, which is still an area of growth—Ghilardi completed almost 86% of his passes in the league last season. He also ranked highly among Serie A defenders last season for tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries when stats are adjusted per 90 minutes.
What Can He Become?
The addition of Konstantinos Koulierakis to Roma’s defensive department (beyond the cut-off point of the voting for the U23 countdown, incidentally) could be seen as both an obstacle and a blessing for Ghilardi. On the one hand, it means there’s more competition for a place in the back three. On the other hand, it adds another left-sided option, which should free up Ghilardi to play on his preferred right-hand side, in a fixed role as Gianluca Mancini’s rotation option.
For now, he’s very much the backup in that battle for a place. Now as old as Mancini was when he joined the club—and Mancini was ready to start straight away; Ghilardi isn’t quite yet—can he challenge the hierarchy as the season goes on?
This will be his first season playing for the same team as the previous one, and likewise, under the same coach. It’s a kind of continuity he’s never had before. Yet the pattern of him facing a progressively higher-level challenge each season continues. A first taste of Champions League action is on the agenda for Ghilardi, as long as he makes Roma’s squad.
He needs to show more consistency and maybe a touch more aggression to really reach the level of the greats he could follow in the best-case scenario. It’s not quite make-or-break time for Ghilardi, but this season could be crucial to how his career projects from here.
If he can recapture his form from late winter and early spring, he stands a chance of becoming an increasingly important asset for Roma.
