Gennaro Borrelli

Key strength: Link-up play

Target man

In the unforgiving landscape of mid-table Serie A, where Cagliari Calcio tread water in 14th place amid a worrying five-match winless streak, Gennaro Borrelli's steady presence has become a lifeline. The Sardinian club's form—three losses and two draws in their last five—has tested the resolve of players and fans alike, yet their 25-year-old Italian target man continues to battle through the storm. Borrelli's numbers tell the story of an honest workhorse rather than a headline-grabber: 4 goals and 2 assists from 26 appearances, accumulated across 1,338 minutes of toil. But statistics only capture part of the picture. In a side boasting the mercurial Jakub Kaminski and the lively Semih Kılıçsoy, Borrelli's true value lies in the shadows—his physical hold-up play knitting together disjointed attacks, his composed temperament yielding just a single yellow card all season. Valued at €3 million, the 65-rated centre-forward understands his role perfectly: win aerial duels, bring teammates into play, occupy centre-backs so others can flourish. As Cagliari desperately seek to arrest their slide and climb toward safer ground, Borrelli's unsung graft remains the glue holding their attacking transitions together—a striker whose contribution is measured in touches that unlock space, not just goals that fill newspapers.