Nikola Stulic

Key strength: Link-up play

Target man

In the furnace of a Serie A relegation battle, Serbian target man Nikola Stulic stands as US Lecce's immovable object up front. With Lecce stranded in 17th position and their recent form reading LLWLL—a solitary win in five leaving them teetering above the drop zone—the 24-year-old has been one of few constants in a turbulent campaign. His numbers tell the story of endurance over glamour: 30 appearances and 1,772 minutes of graft, yet just 4 goals and no assists to show for it. But Stulic's true value lies beyond the scoresheet. As a classic target man, his link-up play has become the tactical fulcrum allowing creative outlets Lameck Banda and Medon Berisha to thrive around him. Remarkably, he's navigated this pressure-cooker season without a single card—yellow or red—a testament to his discipline while shouldering the physical burden of leading the line. Valued at €4.5 million, Stulic represents both Lecce's survival hopes today and their future asset tomorrow. In a season defined by desperation, his reliability offers rare stability.