Raspadori, the number 10 and a role yet to be decided: where can he play under Sarri and Mancini?

Raspadori should not start, but he is ready to make his mark off the bench in the second half. With the No.10 on his back. A shirt as prestigious as it is heavy, one the diminutive talent developed at Sassuolo, and launched into top-level football by Roberto De Zerbi, is not afraid to wear. He has always taken on responsibility throughout his career, even when he was not first choice, as at Napoli and in Madrid, on the Atletico Madrid side. He is ready to do the same with Italy, for whom he has never truly been a regular starter or a real driving force. That is also down to the question of role and position. Raspadori can do everything, he can play anywhere, but it is difficult to pin down his exact place on the pitch. Right now, where can he really add value?

Built like an attacking wide player and with a finisher's instincts, Raspadori drew early comparisons with Di Natale and Aguero. But he has never really worked as a true No 9, and not just because of his build. In Mancini's 4-3-3 with Italy and Sarri's at Atalanta, he plays as a winger, but he does not always have the pace to beat his man and, away from goal, he is almost harmless. So where does he fit? His best performances have come alongside a centre-forward, either as a second striker or an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1. That's where he comes alive. That's where he becomes a danger. Right now, Raspadori looks more like an option to use during a match than a starter. Not exactly what Italy's No 10 should be.