Ranking the 15 Best Serie A Players of 2014

Having fallen far behind Germany, Spain and the Premier League in terms of its coefficient standing, Serie A is often seen as lacking quality in comparison to the three leading countries. Where once the world’s biggest stars opted to test themselves in Italy, they are now far more likely to be found in La Liga or the Bundesliga.

That view is only reinforced when looking at the 23-man shortlist for this year’s Ballon d’Or—as per the official FIFA website—with Paul Pogba the only man currently playing his football on the peninsula. Outside of the young Frenchman, it is hard to see anyone else following in the footsteps of the league’s most recent winner Kaka, who took the trophy home back in 2007.

However, looking a little more closely at the players currently plying their trade in Serie A, there are some highly coveted stars to be found. Over the following pages, the top 15 of the last 12 months are ranked in order, counting down to the best of them all.

To make that more difficult, only one player per club is allowed, meaning a number of truly excellent players miss out.

15. Paulo Dybala (Palermo)

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Paulo Dybala has been simply sensational this term, the striker helping Palermo make an excellent return to top-flight football. The striker netted just five times in 2013-14 as the Rosanero won the Serie B title, but he already has seven goals and six assists in the new campaign.

That has prompted club president Maurizio Zamparini to say that the “price tag is between €42m and €50m” should anyone wish to buy the 21-year-old, per Football Italia. It remains to be seen if he can sustain his current form, but with Palermo 10th in the league, he may have already secured their Serie A status.

14. Gabriel Paletta (Parma)

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The biggest indicator of Gabriel Paletta’s importance to Parma is perhaps the Serie A table. After finishing sixth last term, the club are currently dead last, as the former Liverpool defender has missed most of 2014-15 with injury.

He has made just two starts so far, having performed well enough in the previous campaign to earn a place in Italy’s World Cup squad. He averaged 2.7 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 5.3 clearances per game according to stats site WhoScored.com, and Roberto Donadoni will need him to return to that level if Parma are to survive.

13. Adil Rami (Milan)

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In a desperately poor year, Adil Rami has been one of few solid performers for Milan. Having reportedly paid just €4.25 million to sign the French defender from Valencia per Sky Sports, the Rossoneri are undoubtedly getting value from that investment.

The 29-year-old has settled quickly into Serie A, and is averaging 0.8 tackles, 2.3 interceptions and 4.5 clearances per game according to WhoScored.

12. Mattia Perin (Genoa)

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The only goalkeeper on this list, Mattia Perin has enjoyed a superb year for Genoa. The 22-year-old has attracted interest from Liverpool, with the Premier League club seeing him as a solution to their problems between the posts.

Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) believe his agent has spoken to the Anfield club, and it is easy to see why they admire Perin. Only two players have made more saves than his 56 this term, according to statistics from Fox Soccer, and he has already kept five clean sheets.

11. Alberto Paloschi (Chievo)

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A vastly underrated striker, Alberto Paloschi has quietly been turning in some superb performances for Chievo. The 24-year-old finally cut ties with boyhood club Milan, with the Veronese club paying €3 million to end his co-ownership per Football Italia.

With 14 goals and two assists to his name in 2014, the Rossoneri may yet regret releasing their former youth-team striker.

10. Alessio Cerci (Torino)

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Despite leaving Serie A for Spain in the summer, it is impossible to ignore Alessio Cerci’s contribution in 2014. Seemingly set to return to Italy with Milan, per Gianluca Di Marzio, he was the key figure in securing Torino’s return to Europe after a 20-year absence.

His role in that surpassed even the one played by leading scorer Ciro Immobile, as the creative Cerci netted 13 goals and added 10 assists for the Granata.

9. Mauro Icardi (Inter)

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Mauro Icardi has been one of very few bright spots for Inter over the last 12 months, the striker consistently contributing despite the Nerazzurri continuing to struggle. He has scored 15 times in 2014, also adding three assists in a year hampered by Walter Mazzarri’s tactical approach.

That saw him not play a full 90 minutes until March, and he has been given a far more significant role since Roberto Mancini returned to the club.

8. Manolo Gabbiadini (Sampdoria)

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Manolo Gabbiadini has been superb for Sampdoria, clearly their star performer as they made an excellent start to 2014-15. Currently sitting in fourth place in Serie A, the Genoa-based club owe a major debt of gratitude to the striker for the significant role he has played in that climb.

Netting 13 goals and adding six assists in the calendar year, it seems the 23-year-old will not be at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris for much longer. Napoli are reportedly close to agreeing a deal for the player per ESPN, with the move expected to be announced as soon as the transfer window opens.

7. Antonio Di Natale (Udinese)

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Antonio Di Natale pondered retirement at the end of last season, but Udinese were relieved to see their captain reconsider. He has once again played a major role for the Friulian side, his goals a major factor in their continued presence in the top half of the table.

Stats site WhoScored shows he was responsible for 37 percent of their goals last term, and that figure has risen to 40 percent in 2014-15 according to the same source. He has found the back of the net no fewer than 26 times in the calendar year, showing why the 37-year-old remains such a talismanic presence.

6. Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo)

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While there may be a case for including Simone Zaza as Sassuolo’s representative on this list, Domenico Berardi has been superb for the Neroverdi. The 20-year-old netted 12 goals and added eight assists in 2014, a major contribution that highlights just how great a player he could become.

His quality was discussed in detail here and the talk of a potential move to Juventus has continued. The Bianconeri co-own the winger, and it seems only a matter of time before he makes the switch to Turin.

5. Miralem Pjanic (AS Roma)

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Roma were undoubtedly Serie A’s most surprising team last season, mounting an unlikely title challenge in Rudi Garcia’s first season as coach. A number of players made huge leaps in quality to facilitate that, with Gervinho perhaps chief among them, unrecognisable from the forlorn figure seen at Arsenal.

But, while the Ivorian has struggled to replicate that form in the new campaign, Miralem Pjanic continues to impress. Averaging 1.4 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 75.3 passes per game, according to WhoScored, the 24-year-old has been simply superb for the Giallorossi.

That he completes those pass attempts at a staggering 91.1 percent marks him out as one of the league’s finest midfielders.

4. Antonio Candreva (Lazio)

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Perhaps Serie A’s most underrated player, Antonio Candreva has once again proven essential for Lazio in 2014-15. His excellent form has been central to their bright start, weighing in with two goals and a league-high seven assists thus far.

The club secured his immediate future in late September, signing Candreva to a new five-year contract per Sky Sports. As the player himself admitted, the deal was done “despite the many rumours in the summer” linking him with a move away from Lazio.

3. Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina)

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That Juan Cuadrado is so high on this list is a result of three factors, with him remaining at Fiorentina perhaps the most significant. The Colombian was linked with several moves away from the club, with a recent report believing the Viola turned down a major offer from Juventus, per Forza Italian Football.

Giuseppe Rossi’s continued injury problems were also a major factor, with the striker limited to just six appearances in the whole of 2014. Yet Cuadrado’s own form cannot be understated, the 26-year-old filling a number of roles in Vincenzo Montella’s side.

With 15 goals and five assists to his name in the calendar year, he has enjoyed a stellar 12 months and Fiorentina will hope that continues in the new year.

2. Jose Callejon (Napoli)

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With Gonzalo Higuain making a similar move from Real Madrid, is it perhaps surprising that the Spaniard has out-performed his long-time team-mate. Yet watching him play for Napoli has been a joy, earning him a maiden call-up to the national side and he has carried the Partenopei for long periods during 2014.

Weighing in with 17 goals and eight assists in the last 12 months, the 27-year-old has drawn admiring glances from other clubs. Yet Rafael Benitez insisted in an interview with Spanish newspaper AS that Napoli never entertained the idea of losing the player.

“Did we receive offers for Callejon?” the Napoli coach mused (h/t Football Italia), “Yes, but we never took them into consideration.”

1. Carlos Tevez (Juventus)

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While Paul Pogba—and a pre-injury Arturo Vidal—can consider themselves unlucky not to be given the Juventus slot on this list, could it really be anyone but Carlos Tevez? The Argentinean striker has been a revelation since arriving in Turin from Manchester City, instantly taking to Serie A and the Bianconeri.

There has been no shortage of superlatives rained upon the 30-year-old, and his on-field contribution has marked him out as indisputably the best on show. His relentless desire and endless running have proven infectious, with the likes of Pogba and Roberto Pereyra clearly taking their lead from Tevez.

Yet it has been his clinical play in the opposition penalty area that has been most telling, the player recording 24 goals and nine assists in the calendar year.