Francesco Pio Esposito has been in fine form this season for Serie B side Spezia. Despite being watched by some of Europe’s top clubs, he seems set to stay at Inter, and here is why he could become the perfect addition to their squad in years to come.

Francesco Pio Esposito Ready For Serie A

Career So Far

The wonderkid forward began his career with Inter Milan, where he quickly advanced through the ranks. His last season in youth football saw him score 15 goals in 30 games with three assists for Inter’s U20 team. After clearly proving his qualities, the striker looked to find experience in professional football. This led to a move to Serie B side Spezia in 2023 after they were relegated from the top flight in the season prior.

Last season saw him register just three goals in 38 games. This was a low tally considering his pedigree in youth football, but he only made 17 starts with 1774 minutes, which shows he wasn’t always trusted. Despite not having a clinical output, his strengths were still displayed as he was in the top percentile in the league for touches in the opposition area and for Aerial duels won. His second season for the Aquilotti has seen vast improvements so far.

In 19 games, he has already scored nine goals with one assist, which leaves him third in the race for top goalscorer and fourth for goal contributions. His side now sit third in the league, which shows their progression after finishing 15th last season. In front of goal is where the Italian has improved most, but his all-round game has also progressed.

He has also impressed on the international stage as he has been a figurehead of the Italian youth setup in recent years. Since appearing for Italy U17, he has played in every age group for his nation and has scored for every team. Esposito played a role in Italy’s side that reached the final of the 2023 U20 World Cup, whilst scoring during the group stages at other age groups.

Playing Style

Inter’s loanee stands at six feet two inches tall, which gives him a frame to be a nuisance for defenders and adjust well to playing professional football. This makes him a great target man for any side he is in as he can hold up the ball and win headers. His complete skillset is what differentiates him from most young strikers as his strength, height and ability on the ball are some of the best for his age.

In front of goal, he has become deadly this season, which was a key part in improving his numbers. This is helped by his great instinct and movement inside the penalty area, but also his high volume of chances. He is averaging 0.63 goals per 90, which is in the top percentile in the league, whilst having 3.51 shots per 90. His tall frame also allows him to be a threat from set pieces as he utilises his athleticism to find the net. This dominance in the air is further supported by his outstanding numbers for aerial duels as he on average wins 5.68 per 90.

On the ball is also where he is at his best. Technically he is strong as he has great linkup play and is comfortable with his back-to-goal. This is key as he often spreads the play wide and brings others into the attack through his hold-up play. A reliable first touch, with strong ball control and passing, allows him to always be an option for his side, especially in the build-up phase. This is also shown in his statistics this season. Touches in the opposition area are still high at 7.09 per 90 but his shot-creating actions and progressive passing have significantly improved, which puts him around the top 10% for strikers in these metrics.

However, despite all these strengths on the ball, his defensive capabilities are limited. This is emphasises through his defensive stats that are quite weak, but also as his pressing is lacking at this stage of his career. In the modern game, pressing from the front is a major responsibility for a striker as seen by the success of other forwards like Dominic Solanke. This is the major limitation of his game at the moment and would need to be improved upon if he wants to be an option for the top sides in Europe.

How He Suits Inter

It was recently revealed that Napoli, Ajax and Leicester City were interested in the wonderkids signature but Inter firmly rejected these offers and are said to see him as a future striker.

Inter currently utilise a striker partnership under Inzhagi, which suits Esposito’s style as he currently plays in a two-man strike force at Spezia. They also utilise wingbacks so his link up play, when spreading the ball wide would also work with Inter as Dimarco and Dumfries are a huge part of the attack.

Whilst out on loan, the 19-year-old has averaged just 0.56 progressive carries per 90, which shows his style doesn’t include carrying the ball and is more focused on his passing. This is key to Inter as they have shown to have the least amount of take-ons attempted per game in Europe’s top five leagues. Therefore, this shows that being comfortable in passing and back-to-goal is important in this system. In the clip linked, it shows Lautaro Martinez dropping deep and switching the play out wide to Dumfries, which Esposito has shown that he is capable of doing.

Overall, Francesco Pio Esposito is a perfect option for Inter Milan in the years to come as his strengths are very well suited to their system. The more experience gained whilst on loan this season and potentially next season, will be major in him becoming more consistent and even more complete.