There’s been a lot of talk about the incredible title race currently taking shape in Italy’s Serie A – and rightly so; it is proving to be quite the spectacle.
However, there are several interesting teams outside of that title race.
One of them is Parma.
I Crociati have a place in Serie A folklore despite never winning the league title—their history of iconic individuals plays a huge part in that.
Past players for Parma include Gianluigi Buffon, Lilian Thuram, Fabio Cannavaro, Juan Sebastian Veron, Gianfranco Zola, Adriano, and Hernan Crespo—some truly legendary football icons.
Parma returned to Serie A after finishing top of Serie B in the 2023/24 season, and they’re making quite the impression in Italy’s top flight.
Despite having the league’s youngest side, they are currently 13th after 15 games.
According to our data, Parmas average matchday squad age this season is 23.6, with the majority of their lineup often being younger than 26.
Their transfer activity in the 2024/25 pre-season window, under sporting director Mauro Pederzoli, was geared towards youth—their average squad age last season was 26.2, which was the fourth-youngest in Serie B.
It appears the club wishes to continue in a similar youthful direction.
This can be a smart plan when executed well.
Not only can these young players bring fresh qualities to the playing squad, but they can also be developed to be sold for a higher fee in the future – Parma are currently executing that plan well.
This recruitment analysis will provide an assessment of Parma’s pre-season window signings, evaluating their impact on Parma and its tactics.
Parma Transfer Activity Overview
In preparation for life back in Serie A, Parma made eight new signings, ranging from 17 to 26 years old.
Of those eight, two were immediately loaned back to their former clubs, and of the six remaining signings, one is a loan player with an option to buy, should Parma wish to trigger that clause.
That makes for five permanent signings who are currently playing for Parma—the club paid a fee for four of those five, with one being a free transfer.
Interestingly, following their success in 2023/24, Parma saw a number of departures, with seven players aged 26 and above leaving the club (excluding end-of-loan departures), signifying a clear focus on youth development at the club.
The recruitment drive itself was clearly geared towards bolstering the defence, as they signed a goalkeeper, a centre-back, a full-back, and a defensive midfielder.
They also seemingly placed a secondary focus on strengthening the wide areas, signing three wingers and the aforementioned full-back.
This scout report will provide a short profile of each of the six signings contributing to Parma’s 2024/25 season, excluding the two out on loan.
We will provide a short profile of the players and analyse some data to understand their early impact on Parma’s tactics this season.
Zion Suzuki Scouting Report – Goalkeeper
Zion Suzuki Radar Map
Japanese international Zion Suzuki impressed during his spell at Belgian club Sint-Truiden, turning the heads of several clubs across Europe’s big leagues, and Parma were the ones to land his signature.
The 6’2” keeper has instantly inserted himself as the number one GK at his new club following his £6.2m move to Italy and brings a range of qualities, as you can see in his percentile wheel above.
He
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