Final loanee reports: Part 1

Serie A

Gilberto (Hellas Verona): The 23 year old Brazilian rightback spent the second half of the season on loan with the Gialloblu in hopes that he'd get regular playing time after making just 5 league appearances for Fiorentina. He started out well enough, making 5 appearances in his first 9 matches as an energy sub for Gigi Delneri's club, but grew frustrated with his inability to beat out Eros Pisano for a starting berth and went public with his dissatisfaction. Delneri immediately banished him from the squad. His fate for next season remains up in the air; a good showing with Hellas could have vaulted him into the Viola's plans for next year, but instead, it looks like he'll go back out on loan, possibly to Crotone. His final stats for the year with Hellas are 177 minutes spread across 5 appearances, along with a yellow card.

Grade: D

Ante Rebić (Hellas Verona): The 22 year old Croatian also moved to Hellas in January. He was initially thrust into the starting lineup by Delneri, playing on the left wing or as a second striker, showcasing his energy and workrate. Unfortunately, his penchant for terrible fouls and and an untimely thigh injury got the best of him, as he became more of a bench option for the second half of his stay in Verona. His final stats with them are 10 appearances (6 starts), with 2 yellow cards and a red card. It's hard to say where he goes from here: he's obviously got talent, and, combined with his workrate, he's got everything you look for. But he's also a headcase, unreliable, and just can't put it together. He's still just 22, but he needs to show some end product and a calmer head if he wants to stick around.

Grade: C

Serie B

Maxwell Acosty (Latina): The 24 year old Ghanaian attacker had a brilliant year for a bad team, leading the club in assists and tying former Napoli prospect Nicolao Dumitru for the lead in goals. Acosty showed himself to be a nippy, direct winger, more of a runner than a dribbler, but with a knack for popping up in dangerous positions in the box. His appreciation of space and intelligence mean he can play on either wing, as a number ten, or even as a striker. A late injury derailed his season a bit, but overall, it was a strong showing. A former Corvino find, this is just the sort of breakout he's been waiting for. On the downside, at 24, this may be his ceiling, and a quick sale could be his reward. He finished the season with 33 appearances (29 starts), 7 goals, 5 assists, and 5 yellow cards in 2,497 minutes.

Grade: B+

Jaime Báez (Livorno): The 21 year old Uruguayan attacker moved to the Ligurian club after a spell with the Primavera. He immediately earned a role for the Amaranti; he was thrust straightaway into a starting role, which slightly overwhelmed him, and instead settled in as a supersub. A stocky, powerful little attacker, he possesses the technique and energy to be a sort of Paulo Dybala lite. The end product still isn't there, but even if he never really develops one, his workrate and general peskiness assure that he'll be a useful player. He finished his first season in Italy with 13 appearances (8 starts), an assist, and 2 yellow cards in 689 minutes. He'll almost certainly go back out on loan, and, now acclimated to Italy, the expectations should be a good bit higher this time out.

Grade: C+

Ricardo Bagadur (Salernitana): The 20 year old Croatian centerback spent the first half of the season with Fiorentina, as they lacked any defensive cover. The sent him out over the winter to get some experience. After a few weeks settling in, he seized a starting role and generally looked pretty good for the hapless Granata. It's hard, in fairness, for a defender on a team that concedes 62 goals to really shine, but young Ricardo looked promising: strong in the air, collected in the tackle, and composed on the ball. He clearly needs another few years to develop a feel for the game, but that's hardly remarkable for a young defender in his first professional season. His final statistics are 11 appearances (9 starts), with 2 goals and 2 yellow cards. Expect him to go out on loan from the get-go next year, but he looks like he could become a really good player.

Grade: B+

Filippo Bandinelli (Latina): The 21 year old winger endured a rather difficult season with Latina, getting frozen out of the squad after only 2 appearances in the fall. All credit to him, he stuck with it and fought his way into manager Carmine Gautieri's plans by the end of the year, reinventing himself and starting the final 4 matches of the season as a central midfielder (alongside Ruben Olivera, of all people), and helping Latina go undefeated through that stretch. He's far from the finished product, and so probably needs another few years to hone his craft, especially if he's switching to the midfield full time. He finishes the year with 8 appearances, an assist, and 4 (!) yellow cards across 825 minutes.

Grade: D+

Joshua Brillante (Como): The 23 year old Australian midfielder and fullback had a bit of an uneven season for the Lariani. He arrived as an automatic starter, but a string of lackluster performances saw him relegated to the bench. He eventually settled in as a rotation player, occasionally starting when the regulars were injured, but usually coming on as a substitute. He finished the year with 21 appearances (9 starts), an assist, and 3 yellow cards scattered across 860 minutes. He's almost certain to leave Fiorentina next year, whether on loan again or back to Australia on a permanent basis.

Grade: C-

Leonardo Capezzi (Crotone): The 21 year old midfield boss immediately slotted into the starting lineup for the Squali, and was one of the most important factors in their surprise push for promotion to Serie A. He faded a bit down the stretch, spending more time as a substitute than a starter, but remains the crown jewel of Fiorentina's youth players. His tenacity, passing range, vision, and technique have people comparing him to David Pizarro, which is, perhaps, a bit premature, albeit inevitable for a player who broke into the Primavera during Pek's Viola stint. The Chilean anointed Capezzi as his successor several years ago, and it seems that he may have been right on the money; he expects Paulo Sousa to keep him around next season. Currently on U21 international duty, he should earn a rotational role at the base of the midfield. He made 32 appearances (27 starts) for the Pitagorici, tallying 2 goals, 2 assists, 8 yellow cards, and 1 red card.

Grade: A-

Nicolò Fazzi (Crotone): The 21 year old attacker started his season off with Virtus Entella, but, after 12 appearances (10 starts), in which he accumulated 4 bookings, he was bundled off to Crotone, where he was unable to break through, making just 2 appearances (1 start) and adding another yellow card to his collection. He's a U21 international, so he's got talent; it just never came together for him this year. He also showed an ability to move off the wing, where he'd worked with the Primavera, and put in a shift in central midfield. Crotone, anticipating that they'll lose a number of star performers, want to bring him back next season, and Avellino has also been suggested as a landing spot. Wherever he goes, he just needs to play and remind the Viola brass why the considered promoting him in the senior team a couple years ago. He's certainly got the talent to do it, but just needs to grab the opportunity.

Grade: D

Cedric Gondo (Ternana): The 19 year old Ivorian attacker's season was more of a learning experience than a breakout. Usually introduced on the right wing for the Rossoverdi, he nailed down a job as a regular substitute. Despite being built like a Mack truck, he showcased a strong work rate, but never really produced an end product. He finished with 25 appearances (9 starts), picking up 2 goals, an assist, and a yellow card in 910 minutes. At his best, he's a powerful penalty box striker, so his goal should be a move to team next season that'll play him up top, rather than out wide. He was a terror with the Primavera, and probably just needs a chance to get his groove back.

Grade: C+

Gianluca Mancini (Perugia): Th 20 year old centerback had a rough start to the season, being parked on the bench until January, when he clawed his way into manager Pierpaolo Bissoli's plans, featuring regularly for most of the second half of the season. He's a good tackler and a solid aerial presence, but needs more time to learn the game and grow into his body. He finished the season with 14 appearances (11 starts) and a pair of yellow cards. A fringe U20 international, he's almost certain to head back out on loan again next season, but took some positive steps with the Grifoni.

Grade: C+

Amidu Salifu (Brescia): The 23 year old Ghanain defensive midfielder's season was marred by knee injuries, so it's nice that he just managed to get healthy again. He started out with Virtus Entella, but, after they rushed him back from a ligament injury and managed to worse his condition, Fiorentina moved him to Brescia instead, where there wouldn't be as much pressure to get him on the field. When he did recover, he was mostly used as a substitute until the very end of the year, when manager Roberto Boscaglia moved him into the starting lineup. He finished the year with 20 appearances (11 starts), an assist, and 6 yellow cards. A tireless and powerful player, he's technically rather limited, but could make a useful rotational player. More likely, though, is that he leaves on loan again, this time to get a full year to prove his worth.

Grade: D+

Andrés Schetino (Livorno): The 21 year old Uruguayan midfielder moved to Florence from Fénix in January and was immediately sent to Liguria. As he was moving to a new league in a new country with a new language, he was unlikely to make much of an impact this season, and indeed never made it off the bench for the Labronici. With a full summer to adjust, he should look to make an impact on loan somewhere next year.

Grade: F

Lorenzo Venuti (Brescia): The 21 year old rightback had a brilliant season with the Leonessa. He seized the starting rightback spot from day one, and, aside from a brief benching after being sent off for a very bad tackle, never relinquished it. Whip thin and impressively energetic, he still has some learning to do before he's a real attacking threat, but he's already defensively sound. A U20 international, he may not ever be a superstar, but he's developing into a reliable professional, the sort a coach can pencil in for every match and forget about. He'll make the trip to Moena this summer and try to impress Paulo Sousa; if he succeeds, he'll earn a spot with the Viola next year. Overall, it was a real breakout year for the youngster, as he made 29 appearances (28 starts), tallying an assist, 4 yellow cards, and a red card.

Grade: B+

Luca Zanon (Virtus Entella): The 19 year old fullback had a real bummer of a year. After beginning the season as part of a platoon at leftback, the Diavoli Neri brass decided to bench him in favor of 18 year old Malian Cheick Keita, whose rights are owned by the club; it's hardly a surprise that manager Alfredo Aglietti opted to use a promising player owned by his own team, rather than a youngster on loan. Zanon's still a promising prospect, but definitely needs a chance to get regular playing time, whether that's in Serie B or in the Lega Pro. He season ended with an underwhelming 5 appearances (3 starts) and a total of 246 minutes.

Grade: D-