🎄 Serie A: five surprises you won’t expect in 2025 ⭐️ | OneFootball

With the arrival of the Christmas holidays, we enter the final stretch of the year. It's the time for assessments, reflections, and conclusions that accompany the closing of a cycle.

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In this article, we present what we believe were the best surprises of 2025 in Serie A. In the comments, let us know if you agree or, alternatively, who you would have included and in place of whom.

1️⃣ Assane Diao (Como)

Arriving in the winter market, Diao had a simply devastating impact on Como's performance and economy. In the seventeen matches of last season, he scored eight goals, practically one every two games: numbers of a pure striker that certified his breakthrough.

A path that, however, he couldn't continue along the same line due to repeated injuries that held him back. In this new championship, few appearances and no goals, but what he showed in the past remains an important calling card and continues to fuel the club's hopes for his full return.

2️⃣ Giovane (Hellas Verona)

Picked by Verona in the South American market, Giovane has won over not only the Verona fans but the entire Serie A. His impact has been such that rumors of a possible move to a big club are already circulating, either in the upcoming winter market or the summer one.

The numbers already tell a lot: four assists, three goals, and above all, the lead for shots on target in the championship, with 20 shots on goal. Data that certify precision, technique, and personality, but also a bit of bad luck in the relationship between chances created and goals scored. The growth margin is wide, but the calling card is already more than convincing.

3️⃣Marco Palestra (Cagliari)

Anyone who has seen even just one match of Cagliari or has informed themselves about the player will inevitably have asked: how is it possible that Atalanta didn't immediately believe in him enough to keep him in the squad? The choice, however, was clear from the start: to guarantee him space, continuity, and trust. All elements that Marco Palestra is regularly finding in Sardinia.

On the field, he is showing amazing plays, impressive physical strength, and remarkable technical quality. The numbers confirm it: among defenders, he is first in Serie A for successful dribbles, a clear sign of a modern, explosive profile destined to grow further, with big clubs already starting to compete for him.

4️⃣ Ange-Yoan Bonny (Parma-Inter)

Bonny represents one of those bets won twice. First at Parma, where he carved out a key role in the salvation journey thanks to physicality, hard work, and crucial goals, showing maturity well beyond his age. Then at Inter, where the level jump didn't scare him: despite often starting as a "reserve," he has already made his mark with 4 goals, all decisive and coming at moments that could prove key at the end of the season.

A performance that certifies the soundness of the Nerazzurri investment and the trust placed in his profile. Bonny is not just an alternative: he is a reliable resource, capable of making an impact when called upon and contributing concretely to Inter's excellent path. A silent but extremely effective growth journey.

5️⃣ Manu Koné (Roma)

Koné quickly became a fundamental piece of Roma. Arriving without much fanfare, he imposed himself thanks to intensity, defensive reading, and a consistency of performance that brought balance to the Giallorossi midfield. Recoveries, preventive coverage, and the ability to sustain high rhythms: his work often doesn't make the headlines, but it weighs enormously on the team's economy.

During 2025, he made an incredible quality leap, especially with Claudio Ranieri's work, combining his usual aggressiveness with a cleaner ball management. Manu Koné has become an absolute certainty, an object of desire in the international market: one of those players who make those around him perform better and also explain why Roma found greater solidity and continuity this year.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

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