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Extended Clip - Who Is Raoul Bellanova? Torino’s Lightning Wing-Back Wanted By Man Utd (Ep. 406)
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After a great first season at Torino where he's been awarded with a place in the Italy squad, Nima Tavallaey and Carlo Garganese do a profile deep-dive on the former Inter Milan and AC Milan wingback Raoul Bellanova, who is being targeted by Manchester United.
This is a clip from the weekly Thursday episode of the Italian Football Podcast.
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Transcript
Introduction of Young Italian Player
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast.
00:00:22
Speaker
possibly we're recording this on on Friday the 22nd of March potentially might get his debut on Sunday in Italy's friendly in the United States in New York against Ecuador so watch out for that but he is getting a lot of interest right now from
Manchester United's Interest in Strengthening Defense
00:00:44
Speaker
from bigger clubs Manchester United in particular who have been scouting him on a number of occasions this season and Manchester United are looking to sign a right back this this summer and he is on their list of possible targets so watch out for a potential bid from Manchester United in the summer but they won't be the only one. Belanova is young, he's 23, he's
00:01:11
Speaker
He will turn 24 on 17th of May in just over a couple of months. He is, as I said, he is a right-wing back and he's deployed as a right-wing back in Ivan Urich's 3-4-1-2 formation at Sereno. And his best attributes are he's got lightning pace. He's one of the fastest players in Serie A.
00:01:38
Speaker
He's electric, down that right flank, up and down, up and down. He eats up the ground, as they say, and eats up the grass, as they say in Italy. Very attack-minded player. His ball carrying is outstanding.
Belanova's Strengths and Weaknesses
00:01:52
Speaker
He's averaging 4.23 progressive carries again, which puts him in the 96th percentile in the league.
00:02:01
Speaker
and he has 1.39 successful take-ons from actually which puts him in the 89th percent so he's one of the best in in seria at carrying the ball carrying it long distances and you know eliminating players and not so much through dribbling i mean i don't think he's an amazing dribbler but he's so quick that he can burst and surge into space past his men and just eliminate them
00:02:25
Speaker
and as a wing-back that is obviously really really important and he's been one of Torino's biggest threats offensively this season. He's got one goal, five assists and that has led to him getting a call up for the Italy national team and somebody to potentially look out for at Euroton 2024.
Belanova's Euro 2024 Prospects
00:02:46
Speaker
There's a lot of competition on his side so
00:02:49
Speaker
He may just miss out, but he's in the reckoning and I think he'll definitely have a future within the Italy set up. In terms of weaknesses, he's not as comfortable defensively as he is offensively. I think for this reason he's more suited to a wing back system.
00:03:07
Speaker
with three centre backs to the knees as a right back and a back four, so that's something for Man United and other teams who play a back four to keep an eye on. His crossing in this final ball can also be frustrating. I think it's improved, but it needs to improve. He doesn't
00:03:21
Speaker
pick the right option sometimes, his crossing can be hit and miss, over hit, crosses or under hit crosses. But he is definitely a very, very exciting player, isn't he? Somebody that you watched obviously closely because he was on loan at IMTA last season and he's somebody that you wanted them to sign permanently.
Belanova's Journey and Market Value Increase
00:03:42
Speaker
Yes, I did. There was a three million loan.
00:03:47
Speaker
It was a three million loan with a seven million option to buy. From Caliari. From Caliari. And he's a player who's very quick and I think he struggled, of course, going from Caliari to Inter, but then he improved as he went on. And I think towards the end, I think he showed enough to stay at Inter. And I think it would have been worth it to keep him at Inter rather than bring in Quadrado. And I think together with
00:04:19
Speaker
together with Buchanan coming in, who has come in now, I think that would have put Inter in a much better position. He's from Milan. He was born in Rho. He's raised in Parabiago, which is all part of metropolitan Milan.
00:04:49
Speaker
and he was an interista growing up and he came up through youth ranks at Milan. He's a player who I remember giving
00:04:59
Speaker
Teo Hernandez hell every time he played him. And he's got he's quick. He's I like his timing of his runs. I think the crossing can improve. And it's a player that I really, really like. I think, you know, he can dribble his man. And I think it was a mistake to let him go. And I think now this season at Torino, he's showed why, you know, and he's he
00:05:24
Speaker
not just let go by Vinta, but let go by Milan as well. Grew up in the Milan Youth Academy, 13 years there. Then he was sold as a teenager to Bordeaux in 2019, had a series of loan moves, joined Callery and then made the permanent switch to Torino last summer for just 7 million euros. And his
00:05:42
Speaker
value of his value has gone up massively by then. I think definitely over 20 million now, for sure, maybe even more.
Scouting Interests: Manchester United vs. Inter
00:05:56
Speaker
And so yeah, Man United have been scouting him, but Inter I think have also been linked potentially to bring him back if they get rid of Dumfries. And I'm sure other teams will be looking at him as well, because he is a modern player and he has that lightning pace, which
00:06:12
Speaker
you know especially the premier league is is is uh well you need it you need it i really hope he doesn't go to manchester united i would do do depressed the hell out of me if he went there because that that that given the state and mess of that club i don't want another player to ruin his career and especially an italian one who i i really believe in this guy i really think there is um there is a player there um i i hope his next move is in the seria
00:06:43
Speaker
Obviously, you know, dealing with Urbano Queiro isn't the easiest thing in the world, but I do have some sort of vain hope that if Inter cell, Denzel Dunfries, they can bring this guy in. Because I really rate him. I really, really rate him. And I think it's good for the Italian
High Regard for Belanova's Potential
00:06:59
Speaker
national team as well. And I think players like him who, you know, I remember against after Empoli, he cried because he, you know, he broke down and then Inzaghi rehabilitated him and he came back stronger and he actually
00:07:09
Speaker
came on for many games and overall had like, I think it was 22 performances, 22 appearances, most of which came towards the end of most of which towards, you know. Yeah, and played in the Champions League final, came on in the Champions League final. And I think that's, you know, I think that's, I think there's a player there. I really, really think there's a player there. No, you can see the potential there, for sure.