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Serie A witnessed a 1-1 draw involving Atalanta and Juventus on Saturday and the tie saw youngster Honest Ahanor make a real impression.
The 17-year-old made his second start in La Dea colours and Ivan Juric’s selection did raise some eyebrows. Even though the defender did start against Torino, featuring against Juventus is a different kettle of fish.
Despite that, Ahanor impressed and to many, it wasn’t a surprise. The teenager made his debut for Genoa last season at the age of only 16 and he had started on the left side of midfield. Later in the previous season, he assisted a goal against Napoli, helping Genoa to a 2-2 draw, months after having only played for the Rossoblu Primavera side.
These performances at a tender age and his versatility in the backline convinced Atalanta to spend a fee that can rise up to €20m for Ahanor. In a summer where they weren’t the most active, the youngster is emerging as a real star.
Ahanor attempted the most number of tackles against Juve (4) and also won most tackles in the game (2). He also won the second-most number of aerial duels, with the Nigerian-Italian displaying a keen sense of positioning.
Atalanta were under quite a bit of pressure towards the last half an hour of the game and the teenager made as many as seven clearances, which was third best in the tie.
The game was a reflection of his dominant defensive abilities but Ahanor has already shown that he fits into the wide centre-back role quite well while playing in a high defensive line. As someone who is originally a left-back, he has a very reliable recovery pace and helps in carrying the ball forward into advanced areas. He also played a role in Kamaldeen Sulemana’s goal. Those traits are vital for Juric’s system – as they were for Gian Piero Gasperini’s setup.
Those qualities are quite valuable in the game today too, with Alessandro Bastoni having become one of the best in the world because of that trait. Ahanor’s physical traits allow him to dominate the box very well too and that is rarer in a player of his profile.
Juric was full of praise for the talent after the game, noting a lot of good foundational intangibles.
“He’s really impressed me in recent months. He’s smart, and he’s eager to work and learn. He already had a taste of Serie A last year at Genoa, but here he’s showing incredible maturity for his age. He has physicality, intelligence, and character: he needs to stay focused and keep it up. I have no doubt he’ll continue to grow.”
Berat Djimsiti also spoke of Ahanor, noting that he is mature beyond his age.
He said, via TuttoAtalanta: “Honest surprised everyone, but for those who see him every day, it’s not a surprise. He’s fit into the group very well since the start of the season: he’s an intelligent guy, with the right mentality and impressive physicality for his age.”
“His experience at Genoa helped him; now he seems more mature than his years. He has everything it takes to grow further and become a very strong player. The important thing is that he’s physically fit: the rest will come.”
Joining Atalanta is probably the most ideal choice the ex-Genoa player could’ve made. The Bergamo club boast a more stable structure than many other major Italian or even European sides and this aids in the development of youngsters and players in general.
Someone like Ahanor, who is clearly being trusted a lot, will benefit so much from that. It is already evident that playing regular football at the highest level doesn’t faze him.
Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN
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