Marco Brescianini

Key strength: Work rate

Box-to-box midfielder

In the shadow of Florence's Duomo, a different kind of battle rages at the Artemio Franchi. Fiorentina languish in 16th place, their DWDLD form leaving them perilously close to the drop zone, yet midfielder Marco Brescianini continues his quiet crusade against the chaos. The 26-year-old Italian, valued at €9 million, embodies the graft Raffaele Palladino desperately needs in this turbulent campaign. With 23 appearances yielding 2 goals from 756 minutes, Brescianini's statistics won't dominate highlight reels. But while Moise Kean claims headlines with his finishing, it's the number 4 who recovers second balls, maintains possession under pressure, and does the unseen work that keeps Fiorentina afloat. His discipline is remarkable—just 2 yellow cards in a season where frustration runs high. As a box-to-box presence bridging defense and attack, Brescianini offers Palladino something precious: reliability when survival trumps spectacle. In a squad starved of consistency, his tireless industry may yet prove the difference between salvation and the unthinkable.