Gianluca Mancini

Key strength: Aerial dominance

Defensive anchor

Stranded in 20th place yet somehow defiant, AS Roma are authoring one of Italian football's most dramatic resurrections this season—and anchoring this remarkable five-game winning streak is their unflappable defensive leader, Gianluca Mancini. The 30-year-old Italian centre-back has been an ever-present iron man for the Giallorossi, logging 2,734 minutes across 33 appearances as Daniele De Rossi's side claws back from the brink. Mancini's €15 million valuation reflects what the stats don't fully capture: a ball-playing defender whose 3 assists and composed distribution from the back have ignited Roma's attacking play. His solitary goal understates his aerial dominance at both ends, while his remarkable discipline—just 4 yellow cards across a full season's workload—embodies the calm authority that defines elite defensive anchors. As Roma's revival gathers momentum, the number 23 stalwart represents the veteran steel that could yet write one of Serie A's greatest comeback stories.