Honest Ahanor

Key strength: Aerial dominance

Defensive anchor

While Atalanta languish in 10th place after a turbulent DLWDL sequence has derailed their European ambitions, one certainty has emerged from the chaos: 18-year-old centre-back Honest Ahanor is the immovable object Gian Piero Gasperini has been searching for. The Italian teenager has already racked up 26 appearances and 1,682 minutes—remarkable numbers for a player barely old enough to vote. Ahanor's solitary goal from set-pieces barely hints at his aerial dominance, but it's his staggering discipline that truly defies convention: just one yellow card all season, an almost unheard-of feat for a teenage defender in Serie A. Valued at €30 million despite a modest 60 overall rating, Ahanor represents everything that makes Atalanta's academy legendary—their unerring eye for raw potential. While Scamacca, Krstović and Raspadori headline the attack, it's their teenage defensive bedrock wearing number 69 who provides the platform for Gasperini's philosophy to breathe. In a season of inconsistency, Honest Ahanor has become Bergamo's one guarantee.