4) Manuel Locatelli (AC Milan) – 19 years old
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Having joined AC Milan at the age of 11, Manuel Locatelli has slowly made his way up the ranks to eventually wear the hallowed red-and-black stripes in the Italian Serie A. Initially brought into the side as a backup to skipper Riccardo Montolivio, Locatelli’s performances were a breath of fresh air compared to veteran’s frustrating knack of seemingly counterproductive brand of football.
Stationed in a central midfield role, Locatelli has not only been tasked with shielding the defence but also initiating counter-attacks by finding Milan’s forwards. While not the most physical of specimens, what Locatelli lacks in physicality he makes up for with his tactical positioning.
Also read: Scout Report – Manuel Locatelli
Off the ball, he is quite adept at breaking up play with strong tackles and transitions from defence to attack very quickly instead of dithering on the ball. The 19-year-old is not averse to making forward runs either. He has the ability to carry the ball forward from defence and also has a mean shot on him.
His screamer against Juventus earlier this season in a 1-0 win gave Milan their first win over the Serie A champions since 2012. It was a well-taken shot from just inside the box that swerved past a helpless Buffon before finding the top corner.
