Pio Esposito, the striker Italy was waiting for: a breakthrough season
From his Inter debut to the Azzurri shirt: the 2005-born forward learned his trade next to Lautaro and Thuram and now leads the queue of Italy's future number nines.
There is a photo that sums up Francesco Pio Esposito's journey: the notebook in which, as an Inter academy kid, he took notes while watching Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram train. Those notes are turning into goals.
The 2005-born forward has moved fast: his Inter debut came two days after his first senior national team call-up, the club resisted the temptation to sell him, and his minutes — and his presence in the box — have grown steadily.
Italy has been searching for a reference striker for the post-Immobile era for years. Between Esposito, Camarda and Ambrosino, the race for the number nine shirt heading into 2030 is finally crowded. And that competition is good for everyone.