One of the most exciting talents in AC Milan’s Primavera side is winger Filippo Scotti, who signed his first professional contract today.
After Davide Bartesaghi put pen to paper on a contract until 2026, Scotti has also signed his first pro contract, extending his deal until the same year. A three-year extension is the maximum permitted for players under 18 by regulation.
ScoutCalcio provided some insight on Scotti in a Twitter thread, starting with a list of strengths: dribbling, agility, pace, physicality in duels and in possession, vision, work rate, crossing, off-ball movement and reading of opponents. Not a bad list.
One of Scotti’s biggest strengths – and one that a winger needs to have – is his dribbling. He is a very good dribbler be it at full pace, in tight spaces or being man-marked.
In the clip below, Scotti shows his dribbling against multiple defenders, something which can help open space for his team-mates.
— follow@Scout7Calcio (@Scout7Calciotv) February 17, 2023
Scotti, when getting man-marked, developed his own signature move to get out of tight spots. He steps forward and either lets the ball pass him through his legs and makes a quick turn to outpace the defender, or he lets the ball move by his side and quickly turns.
— follow@Scout7Calcio (@Scout7Calciotv) February 17, 2023
Scotti is a very intelligent player in running behind the defence into space, he likes to make that run very often and when he is found by his team-mates with a pass, he can use his dribbling to get into dangerous areas to make an assist or try to finish himself.
— follow@Scout7Calcio (@Scout7Calciotv) February 17, 2023
Another great strength the 16-year-old has is his vision. Scotti plays as a right winger and thanks to this vision – combined with his crossing/passing – he is able to find team-mates making runs, something needed from a right-footed player on the right.
— follow@Scout7Calcio (@Scout7Calciotv) February 17, 2023
His understanding and reading of the game is also another big positive. In the clip below, Scotti knows while pressing that the opponent doesn’t have another option so he intercepts the ball and puts in a perfect cross.
— follow@Scout7Calcio (@Scout7Calciotv) February 17, 2023
To show more of his great vision, the next clip shows the teenager making a quick decision to go for a through ball after Kevin Zeroli made a move into space. Scotti nails the pass with the outside of his right foot and creates a chance.
— follow@Scout7Calcio (@Scout7Calciotv) February 17, 2023
Below is another perfectly played through ball from almost the kick-off, into the box to find his team-mate. Scotti has incredible vision and does these kind of plays a lot during games, creating scoring opportunities.
— follow@Scout7Calcio (@Scout7Calciotv) February 17, 2023
Despite being only 16 and playing against players that are often two or three years older, Scotti already has great physique and gets involved in duels, whilehe is very hard to knock off the ball.
Here in this clip you can see how even a opponent throwing himself on Scotti doesn’t get the ball off him, which makes him a battling winger that head coaches love.
— follow@Scout7Calcio (@Scout7Calciotv) February 17, 2023
Scotti’s defensive work rate is also very impressive. He always tracks back to help his full-back out, and the clip below shows how after a bad pass by his team-mate, the forward runs back at full pace and wins the ball in the matter of a few seconds. To make it even more impressive, it was in extra-time.
— follow@Scout7Calcio (@Scout7Calciotv) February 17, 2023
One ‘weakness’ Scotti has to learn has also to do with his dribbling/vision: sometimes he overdoes it and doesn’t notice his team-mates in good positions, hanging onto the ball too long until there is no good option anymore.
— follow@Scout7Calcio (@Scout7Calciotv) February 17, 2023
Scotti is a huge talent, and thanks to his strengths he can always play a normal right wing role to create. One thing that is possible is the idea of shifting to be an inverted winger, to use his dribbling to cut inside and cross.
However, Scotti is one perfect example how we desperately need a second team like Juventus, something which is supposed to be happening in 2024.
Next year, Scotti will probably outgrow the Primavera but he will only be 17, an age where getting a good loan spell is difficult but staying playing against youth teams could result in wasted potential.
