Maat Daniel Caprini (Cesena)
It’s been a rocky start to the season for the 20-year-old winger. He missed the first few months with a hamstring injury and has only just gotten back into the match day squad, making a couple appearances off the bench. He’s looked lively but still a bit off-kilter, missing several presentable chances. If coach Alessandro Diamante can help him put together all his talent, he could be ready for a much bigger role next year. Caprini’s got all the talent in the world but just needs to process the game
a little quicker. The first step is reclaiming a starting role. Next is producing in the final third.
Loan terms: option with a buyback, no amounts listed anywhere
Stats: 3 appearances (1 start)
Grade: C+ Needs to get on the pitch and make things happen and I think he can do just that
Lapo Deli (Empoli)
The 20-year-old midfielder has done well to seize a significant role for the Azzurri. He looks like the 5th-choice central midfielder in Matteo Andreolotti’s 3-5-2; with Empoli sitting in 18th, there’s a decent chance that the mister will shake things up and give him some more minutes. It’s harder to analyze a holding midfielder from short appearances than it is an attacker but I think Deli’s avoiding mistakes rather than taking the initiative.
Loan terms: option with a buyback, no amounts listed anywhere
Stats: 6 appearances (0 starts), 2 yellow cards
Grade: C+ Needs to string together a few starts.
Gino Infantino (Argentinos Juniors)
The former Argentina U20 captain hasn’t thrived in his home nation. He made a couple appearances off the bench in the Apertura but has yet to feature in the Clausura, which means he hasn’t played since March. He’s spent nearly as much time in the stands as on the bench and I can’t help but wonder if Nicolás Diez has decided he isn’t up to snuff and is ensuring he doesn’t play enough to trigger a purchase. It’s a tough situation for a young guy and made worse by the fact that the club itself made him an object of fun with its announcement video.
Loan terms: conditional obligation, no amounts listed anywhere
Stats: 2 appearances (0 starts)
Grade: F It’s just not happening for him.
Tommaso Martinelli (Avellino)
Up front, I don’t understand goalkeeper evaluation all that well but from what I’ve seen, the 20-year-old kid from Bagno a Ripoli is progressing well. Despite his ursine build, he’s got superb reflexes but what stands out to me is his anticipation: he’s great at moving his feet early so that he just has to smother the ball instead of diving for it. He also loves a quick throw to start a counterattack. He’s still learning to time his charges off his line but all in all, I’ve enjoyed him. He’s also got a great attitude, it seems like, minimizing the barking he does at his teammates and just getting on with it.
Loan terms: option with a buyback, no amounts listed anywhere
Stats: 12 appearances (12 starts), 14 goals conceded, 3 clean sheets, 1 yellow card
Grade: A He’s doing everything right and with David de Gea in decline, Big Tommy has a great chance to feature for his hometown club next year.
Amir Richardson (Le Havre)
After a couple years in the wilderness, Slenderman is back up and running. Le Havre has been awful this year—winless in Ligue 1 with a -13 goal difference—and coach Didier Degard has paid the price, getting sacked on Halloween. Richardson has been one of few bright spots, using his unique physical gifts and surprising technical ability to help le Club Doyen compete in the middle. He’s even worn the armband on occasion, indicating just how important he is to the side. For those of us who’ve believed in the Slim Reaper despite the recent turbulence, it’s a level of vindication. The only problem is that if Le Havre gets relegated, it may not trigger his option, in which case he’ll revert to the Viola books until 2029.
Loan terms: €8 million option
Stats: 10 appearances (9 starts), 1 yellow card
Grade: B+ Just getting on the pitch counts as a small victory, and performing well is an even larger one.
Lorenzo Romani (Carrarese)
The U20 international defender started the season on the left of a back 3 and, like the rest of his team, looked awful: Carrarese took just 1 point from its first 5 games and management sacked coach Gabriele Cioffi. New boss Guido Pagliuca has righted the ship to some extent but has benched Romani, who hasn’t seen the pitch since early September. It’s a long season and he should get another chance but I wasn’t impressed with what I saw from him. The step up from Serie C is significant and Romani looks a step slow. Maybe another few months will let him find his footing.
Loan terms: no option anywhere I can find
Stats: 4 appearances (4 starts)
Grade: D- Found wanting at the first time of asking; if there’s a second, here’s hoping his response is improved.
Tommaso Rubino (Carrarese)
He was on loan at Carrarese last year and underwhelmed so I like that he wanted another bite at the apple, especially after he scored in three straight games last month. Even so, he remains in a platoon with Inter Milan loanee Luca Topalović. Rubino’s a fun player, the sort of mercurial trequartista who thrived in Serie A a couple decades ago and has since gone very out of fashion (see Saponara, Riccardo). To his credit, Tommy’s spoken about his willingness to do whatever it takes for the team and has played as a midfielder and a striker this term. At 19, he’s still got some physical development to go but if he can keep coming up big in the final third, he’ll give Fiorentina’s brain trust a headache.
Loan terms: no option anywhere I can find
Stats: 9 appearances (6 starts), 3 goals, 1 yellow card
Grade: B+ If he can lock down a starting job and keep popping up with goals, he’ll be firmly ahead of schedule even if he’s not quite ready for the first team.
Giulio Scuderi (Juve Stabia)
The 20-year-old leftback had showed signs of growth after a solid campaign with Alcione in Serie C. He’d locked down the starting job and lasted all 90 minutes in 3 straight before picking up a thigh issue back in September that’s kept him out since. I expect he’ll be back soon but Terrence Douglas has done well in his absence so Scuderi may need to re-win his spot. He might never break into the Fiorentina setup but if he does, it’s years away. Although he’s on the books until 2028, he’s probably already playing for his next contract.
Loan terms: no option anywhere I can find
Stats: 5 appearances (5 starts), 1 yellow card
Grade: C+ Was going well enough and probably will go well again if he can get healthy soon.
Tommaso Vannucchi (Arzignano)
The only Serie C player on this list, I included Vannucchi due to his international profile (currently with the U20s) and because goalkeepers develop on a different schedule compared to other positions. He had a tough time last year, making just 8 appearances between Pontedera and Cosenza, but has done much better this time out as he’s nailed down the starting job. He’s in a weird place, given that he’s been Tommaso Martinelli’s understudy as they rose through the youth ranks, so it’s good to see him seize this opportunity.
Loan terms: no option anywhere I can find
Stats: 12 appearances (12 starts), 14 goals conceded, 3 clean sheets
Grade: B- Simmering along nicely
