Although he is still very young, he already knows what to do in the penalty area, Luciano Spalletti, Ex-Inter Milan Manager
Natural goal-scorers are hard to find, especially at such a young age. The genetic instinct of how to finish is a rare talent and practically unteachable. It is something that clubs are willing to pay vast sums for and it is something Sebastiano Esposito possesses.
Attracting attention from both PSG and Liverpool, Esposito has burst onto the professional scene in Italy this season at just 17-years of age. The Italian born teenager has already put his name in the record books by becoming Inter Milan’s youngest European debutant. With superstars such as Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martínez leading the line for the Italian giants, there’s no better measure of ability than Antonio Conte already offering this youngster first-team minutes.
In this tactical analysis, we look in detail at the Inter prodigy, analysing technical, mental and physical attributes possessed by this exciting prospect.
Positioning
Esposito’s technical ability makes him a well-rounded right-footed centre-forward. Standing at 1.86m, the teen is strong enough to operate as a single number nine, where he can be used as the focal point, linking up with wingers in support. He can also work in a front-two pairing, varying his game between running in behind or as a target-man linking with his teammates, as he has done in his appearances for Inter this season.
With his pace and ability with the ball at his feet, the Italian youngster is also comfortable playing on either wing where he likes to cut inside and drive into the penalty area dangerously. His technique in the wide areas makes him a dangerous deliverer of the ball; the youngster was even designated corner taker whilst enjoying his first-team minutes.
We can see from his heat map this season in Serie A that Esposito is capable operating in a range of attacking roles, whether it’s dropping in the hole when space presents itself or stretching a centre-back structure by moving into the channels, the Italian is comfortable in many scenarios.
