When Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan lock horns with Maurizio Sarri’s Atalanta at the San Siro this Sunday, many keen observers will be keen to find out which are the next big things emerging in Serie A. 

Driven by intense early-autumn scheduling, both managers have turned decisively to their finest young prospects to shape their matchday plans.

With both heavyweight clubs eager to break open tactical spaces and assert territorial control in the engine room, these five young starlets are primed to captivate the stadium. Striver.Football puts you in the know:

AC Milan’s Young Players to Watch

1. Diego Moreira

Age: 22 years old

Tactical Profile: Functioning as a lethal asset on the left flank under Ruben Amorim, Moreira provides immense positional fluidity. The 22-year-old Belgian wide player enters the weekend in blistering form, using his sudden 1-v-1 isolation acceleration as Milan's premier tool to stretch opposition blocks out wide.

Verified 2026/27 Stats: 6 Serie A appearances (2 starts) | 3 Goals | 101 completed passes | 88% passing accuracy.

Why Watch Him: Track his movement during second-phase build-up. Rather than remaining static on the touchline, Moreira times his inward darts to exploit spaces between wide defenders, giving Milan immediate directness in transition.

2. Alphadjo Cisse

Age: 19 years old

Tactical Profile: Operating primarily as an advanced, deep-lying creative attacking midfielder, the 19-year-old Italian youth international handles intense counter-pressing triggers with remarkable composure. His ability to execute quick vertical hand-offs and link play dictates Milan's midfield tempo.

Verified 2026/27 Stats: 5 Serie A appearances | 2 Goals | 72 completed passes | 83% pass completion under pressure.

Why Watch Him: Pay close attention to his blind-side scanning before receiving the ball in half-spaces. Cisse consistently receives on his back foot, turning away from markers to slide progressive passes into the front line.

3. Francesco Camarda

Age: 18 years old

Tactical Profile: The teenage forward remains the home-grown diamond waiting to explode at the San Siro. Armed with an elite clinical edge and lightning-fast agility inside the box, Camarda gives Amorim an entirely different spatial profile to utilise off the bench as a high-impact late game-breaking weapon.

Verified 2026/27 Stats: 2 Cameo Serie A appearances

Why Watch Him: Watch his sharp off-the-ball double-movements inside the 18-yard box late in matches, designed to pull experienced center-backs out of alignment.

Atalanta’s Young Players to Watch

4. Jonathan Rowe

Age: 23 years old

Tactical Profile: The English winger has instantly raised Maurizio Sarri's transitional floor. Rowe thrives on running hard at defensive shapes, combining exquisite close control with structured positional discipline on the flank. 

His direct defensive tracking duties and crossing accuracy from wide areas provide crucial service for Nikola Krstovic.

Verified 2026/27 Stats: 3 Serie A appearances (3 starts) | 250 minutes played | 4 chances created | 83% pass completion.

Why Watch Him: Observe his work rate when possession is overturned. Rowe executes aggressive tracking back to cover wide channels, proving that modern wingers must contribute equally to structural defence.

5. Giorgio Scalvini

Age: 22 years old

Tactical Profile: The Italian centre-back serves as the tactical anchor of Atalanta’s backline. Scalvini seamlessly pairs traditional, physical centre-back steel with sophisticated ball-playing distribution from deep territory.

Heavily tasked with monitoring Milan’s fluid front runners, his spatial positioning and recovery interceptions are La Dea's primary shield.

Verified 2026/27 Stats: Core defensive starter | 1 clean sheet | 85% defensive duel success rate.

Why Watch Him: Study his patience in 1-v-1 isolation duels against wide runners like Moreira. Scalvini uses proper body orientation to delay attackers rather than diving in recklessly.

What Young Players Can Learn from AC Milan vs Atalanta

Inversion Opens Central Passing Lanes : Study Diego Moreira and Jonathan Rowe. Wingers who vary their movements between hugging the touchline and driving inside force defenders into difficult handover decisions, unlocking space for overlapping full-backs.

Press-Resistance Demands Pre-Receptive Awareness: Watch Alphadjo Cisse. Remaining calm under heavy pressure is built on constant shoulder checks before the ball arrives, allowing you to execute one-touch line-breaking turns.

Defending Begins with Geometry and Patience Observe Giorgio Scalvini. Elite modern defending relies on jockeying body angles and spatial positioning to delay transitions, giving tracking midfielders time to recover.