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

With the arrival of the Christmas holidays, we enter the home stretch of the year. It's the time for taking stock, reflecting, and drawing conclusions that accompany the closing of a cycle.

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

1️⃣ Assane Diao (Como)

Arriving during the winter transfer window, Diao had a simply devastating impact on Como’s performance and overall game. In seventeen matches last season, he scored eight goals, practically one every two games: numbers worthy of a pure striker that confirmed his breakthrough.

However, his journey was unable to continue along the same lines due to repeated injuries that held him back. In this new season, he has made few appearances and scored 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 up by Verona from 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 are already circulating about a possible move to a big club, either in the upcoming winter transfer window or in the summer.

The numbers already say a lot: four assists, three goals, and especially the record for shots on target in the league, with 20 shots on goal. These stats certify his precision, technique, and personality, but also a bit of bad luck in the ratio between chances created and goals scored. There is plenty of room for growth, but his calling card is already more than convincing.

3️⃣Marco Palestra (Cagliari)

Anyone who has watched even just one Cagliari match or looked into the player has inevitably wondered: how is it possible that Atalanta didn’t believe in him enough to keep him in their squad? However, the decision was clear from the start: to guarantee him playing time, consistency, and trust. All elements that Marco Palestra is regularly finding in Sardinia.

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

4️⃣ Ange-Yoan Bonny (Parma-Inter)

Bonny is one of those bets that has paid off twice. First at Parma, where he carved out a key role in their fight for survival thanks to his physicality, hard work, and crucial goals, showing maturity well beyond his years. Then at Inter, where the step up in level didn’t faze him: even though he often started as a “substitute,” he has already made his mark with 4 goals, all decisive and scored at moments that could prove key at the end of the season.

A performance that certifies the wisdom of Inter’s investment and the trust placed in his profile. Bonny is not just an alternative: he is a reliable resource, able to make an impact when called upon and to contribute concretely to Inter’s excellent campaign. A quiet but extremely effective path of growth.

5️⃣ Manu Koné (Roma)

Koné quickly became a fundamental piece for Roma. Arriving without much fanfare, he established himself thanks to his intensity, defensive awareness, and consistent performances that have brought balance to the Giallorossi midfield. Recoveries, preventive coverage, and the ability to keep up a high tempo: his work often doesn’t make the headlines, but it is hugely important to the team’s overall play.

During 2025, he made an incredible leap in quality, especially under Claudio Ranieri’s guidance, combining his usual aggression with a cleaner management of the ball. Manu Koné has become an absolute certainty, a target for the international transfer market: one of those players who make those around him play better and who also explain why Roma has found greater solidity and consistency this year.

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

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