Group D Player To Watch: Nicolò Rovella (Italy)

Juventus made an interesting signing in the winter window of 2021 — bringing in Nicolò Rovella from Genoa.

The midfielder born in 2001 remained in Genoa until the end of 2022 and did not make an appearance for Juventus until the beginning of this season.

He then moved on loan to Monza in the summer 2022 window and has made 23 appearances in the league since then for I Biancorossi.

The visualization below shows where the midfielder ranks for some key metrics compared to other right-sided midfielders in Serie A.

There’s a reason why Juventus decided to sign Rovella from Genoa for a good fee back in 2021 when he was only 19 years old.

Highly rated by several individuals associated with Italian football, Rovella is a key part of the Italy youth setup.

He is a versatile, well-rounded midfielder who can play deep or as a number 10. 

He might not have the goals and assists numbers to back up his performances for Monza this season, but he has been a key part of the way they play.

His awareness in the game and his ability to scan and evade the opposition’s press, while progressing the ball through the centre of the pitch, are typical of a player with high potential.

On the ball, Rovella has an eye for a dangerous, creative pass quite often — and is not hesitant to retain the ball and recycle it to create chances for his teammates.

Nicolò Rovella has been involved with the U21 set-up since he was an 18-year-old.

He was part of the Italy U21 setup in 2021 Euros.

This year, he is expected to play a key part for the Italy U21s if they are to win the U21 European Championships for the first time since 2004 and surpass Spain to become the undisputed number one in all-time Euro U21 titles.