The five best hidden gems in Serie A

Now that the domestic season is over and the dust has settled, it’s time to reflect. While many of the top leagues lacked drama, the 2024-25 Serie A campaign was hugely exciting, with it going right down to the wire at both ends of the table as Napoli clinched the title right at the last, breaking the hearts of Inter fans, who with just a few games to go, thought their team had done enough to get over the line.

At the other end, Lecce left it late to save their season, climbing out of the bottom three by avoiding defeat in each of their last three games, sending Empoli back down to Serie B.

During the season, we saw some impressive individual performances, and not just from the big boys. This article highlights five slightly less obvious individuals who stood out during the course of the Serie A campaign, players who deserve a little more attention, players who proved they could likely excel at bigger clubs.

Earlier this year, 19-year-old Assane Diao was considered surplus to requirements at Real Betis, prompting a January switch to Como and what a switch it turned out to be for Cesc Fabregas’ team.

Strong, powerful and wonderfully direct, Diao, who had struggled for game time in LaLiga, hit the ground running in Serie A, scoring against giants AC Milan in just his second game, before adding another in the very next game against Udinese.

Rapidly developing a knack for scoring in big games, it wasn’t long before the Senegalese forward notched against both Juventus and Napoli, before ending the campaign on eight goals, averaging a hugely impressive 0.58 goals per 90 minutes. He’s definitely a player to watch out for next season.

28-year-old Aarón Martín probably won’t be the first name that people think of when talking about Serie A’s best, but the Genoa full-back enjoyed an excellent campaign. Interestingly, only AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic made more key passes (= passes leading directly to a shot) than Martin this season, with the Spaniard regularly showing how creative he can be.

Martin’s eight assists certainly helped Genoa to avoid being seriously involved in the fight for survival, and as he looks set to remain at Luigi Ferraris Stadium, the full-back will be key to any relative success that Patrick Viera’s men enjoy next season.

For Lazio, it was a solid campaign, with the Romans narrowly missing out on securing European football, finishing seventh. One of the standout performers for the men playing out of Rome’s Stadio Olimpico was central defender Mario Gila.

For much of the season, the Eagles were hard to beat, with Gila’s defensive efforts certainly not going unnoticed. Formerly of Real Madrid, the Spaniard, who is very comfortable with the ball at his feet, also helped Lazio to build attacks, ranking as one of the best players in the division in terms of pass completion, touches and progressive carries, often showing his ability to bring the ball out from the back.

Gila is still only 24, but after a very solid season, it wouldn’t be too surprising if he’s being watched by those with a bit more financial punching power than Lazio. If he remains in the capital, then his presence will undoubtedly help Maurizio Sarri’s men to break into the top six.

Thanks to a promising late run of results, Lecce narrowly beat the drop, keeping themselves in Italy’s top tier for another season, thanks in no small part to the contributions of forward Nikola Krstovic, whose efforts in the final third allowed the team from the Apulia region to just about get over the line.

The hard-working, all-action striker was a constant thorn in the side of opposition defences, scoring 11 and assisting five, averaging 0.47 goals and assists per 90 minutes, finishing the season as Serie A’s eighth-best player in terms of goals and assists combined. Not bad for a relegation-scrapping forward. Off the back of a fine season, the Montenegro forward could be in for a move, but if he remains, Lecce will have a decent chance of once again beating the drop.

As touched on above, under the astute leadership of Cesc Fabregas, Como enjoyed a fantastic season in Italy’s top flight. January signing Diao certainly caught the eye during the latter part of the campaign, but all season long, Nicolás Paz was outstanding.

The young Argentine joined at the start of the campaign from Real Madrid, where he never really looked likely to feature as a first-team player, instantly becoming a key part of Fabregas’ well-oiled machine. A silky operator, Paz became Como’s go-to creator, ending the season as the fourth-best player in Serie A in terms of assists.

The 20-year-old, who averaged 0.47 goals and assists per 90 last season, looks set for a bright future and if Como can keep hold of him, then they’ll have every chance of being just as competitive next time around.

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