Luca Marianucci

Key strength: Aerial dominance

Defensive anchor

At just 21 years old, Luca Marianucci carries the weight of Naples' defensive future. Valued at €7.5 million despite limited first-team exposure, the Italian centre-back represents strategic succession planning at SSC Napoli, who currently sit 3rd in Serie A and remain firmly in the Scudetto conversation. Standing 6'2" with solid defensive fundamentals—58 defending rating complemented by 55 physicality—Marianucci possesses the raw tools of a modern ball-playing centre-back. His 48 passing hints at the comfort on the ball that Antonio Conte demands from his back three. Yet it's what isn't in the statistics that matters most: training daily alongside seasoned professionals like Sam Beukema (73 rated) and learning from Conte's exacting tactical standards. For a club chasing silverware, every training session becomes a masterclass in defensive intelligence. While Rasmus Højlund and Lorenzo Lucca grab headlines in attack, Marianucci quietly absorbs the lessons that could make him the next great Italian defender. The €7.5m valuation isn't for what he is—it's for what Conte believes he can become.