Ahanor wins Best Italian at Golden Boy: Bergamo's talent factory strikes again
The 18-year-old defender, who moved from Atalanta to Chelsea, ranks 26th in Tuttosport's Golden Boy standings. Following Scalvini, the award returns to the Bergamo area.
Honest Ahanor is Italy's brightest prospect according to the 2026 Golden Boy rankings. The defender, sold by Atalanta to Chelsea in the summer, has secured the Best Italian award in a list topped by Barcelona's Pau Cubarsí, who collected 475 points out of 500. The prize ceremony is scheduled for December in Turin.
Ahanor's 26th-place finish gains even greater significance given that no Italian player featured among the twenty-five finalists in early October. For the defender, it represents the culmination of an extraordinary season at Atalanta: signed from Genoa last July with an investment of 16 million plus 4 in bonuses, he has made 35 total appearances, nine of which came in Europe's top club competition. This summer brought his move to Chelsea for 46 million plus 6 in bonuses, though he continues playing in the Premier League with Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the 2026-27 season.
His rise through the Italy ranks has been equally impressive. His first two senior caps came in June against Luxembourg and Greece, followed by his inclusion in a thirty-one-player squad for Nations League fixtures. This is not the first time Bergamo has seen the Best Italian award: Giorgio Scalvini claimed it in December 2023, when he was competing with the club.