Amid all of Atalanta’s injury woes this year, a pleasant surprise has sprung through: the emergence of Giorgio Scalvini. With Matteo Lovato out on loan and the revolving door of injuries to Atalanta centerbacks, the teenage sensation has reliably filled in every place he has been asked to play. Beyond the boost he has given to Atalanta’s depth, its a great boost for the development team who has not seen a player graduate from the youth side to the senior side, WHILE performing well (Piccoli has been unconvincing if you ask me).
Going into the season no one would be faulted for assuming Giorgio Scalvini would be taking up the torch to be one of the next best Italian centerbacks. His lanky 194cm build would suggest he has the height plus the frame to add more good weight. But like with all teenagers, they’re fickle, changing their minds as frequently as the sun comes up. And Scalvini is no different. But instead of the young Atalantino changing his mind, he’s forced us fans and his development team to seriously ask the question on can he be retrained, wait for it, as a midfielder.
Its rare to see midfielders looming large over the rest of the outfield players. Very few spring to mind, with Lazio’s Sergej Milenkovic-Savic being the most notable example. But if a player has the chops to handle the ball, the awareness to find the right pass to teammates, and the engine to chase smaller midfield opposition over the park, then moving him up the field has to at least be considered. In Scalvini’s case he’s played about 100 minutes as a midfielder this year, and has impressed in each one of those minutes. The 18-year old isn’t making splash plays like SMS, but he has rarely put a foot wrong with his decision making, and unlike most centerbacks he has a soft and smooth first touch that is vital for a midfielder. Additionally his pace (or lack thereof) is not a liability for furious trackbacks in Gasperini’s system. If Marten de Roon, who is not the fleetest of foot, can excel as a Gasperini defensive midfielder, Scalvini’s pace will not be his downfall.
All his best traits were on display in Atalanta’s recent contest against RB Leipzig. He held up well defensively, and was able to stave off one of the most energetic midfield duos in Europe. It was a great follow-up performance to his one against Lazio, in which he firmly stood next to the aforementioned SMS – barely giving the Serbian any room to carry out his trickery in the midfield. In football, it makes more sense to work back the pitch, and let youngsters fail backwards (eg. let a guy prove he can’t make it as a target man before turning him into a centerback). And in Scalvini’s case, Gasperini should let the youngster prove that he is not a midfielder – don’t decide for him. We’ve seen firsthand how disastrous it can be for Atalanta without Koopmeiners, de Roon, or Freuler manning the middle of the pitch (the Sassuolo match is further confirmation how quickly things fall apart when none of those three are present from the first kick). If there’s already an option in house that can shore up such a crucial position for La Dea, let’s try it, and then move onto plan B. And the beauty of this plan B, Scalvini can always just move back to centerback and be an excellent player! Hardly any risk trying him further up the pitch!
Regardless, us Atalantini have to be thrilled that the academy’s next big prospect may actually get to don the black and blue of Atalanta. Whether he’s part of the back three, or rubbing shoulders with Teun Koopmeiners in the middle of the pitch – let’s just be happy he’s ours. Players with positional luxury is infrequent, especially when its a teenager, so more than anything let’s just enjoy the ride in watching a bonafide prospect make waves for Atalanta.
