Lecce, baby Camarda sends out the first signs

Ready, set, go, and it's Francesco Camarda's turn. In Lecce's first friendly at their training camp in Bressanone, an 11-0 win against Natz, the AC Milan-trained striker immediately stood out, scoring a hat-trick in the space of 40 minutes. Let's be clear, it's only the first match of the season; the score doesn't matter, and the opponent's modest quality clearly doesn't allow for easy claims, but Camarda has quickly carved out a role as the cover man.

Born in 2008, Camarda, who turns 18 in March next year, was named in the starting lineup for Lecce, who came on in the first half of the friendly. The young striker responded well, showcasing his full repertoire: pace, a spirit of sacrifice, attacking from deep, impressive physicality, and a killer instinct in the penalty area. These are all qualities that have allowed him to quickly become one of the youngest ever to debut in Serie A. In the match against Natz, Camarda played with a desire to shine, a trait that has distinguished him since the first day of training at the dawn of the new season. Partly due to his young age, partly due to his awareness of the importance of this opportunity, the Salento team's new striker appears to have embarked on this new adventure with the Giallorossi in the best possible way.

Lecce has great faith in him, and the coaching staff has always been quite clear about him. Talent knows no age, and it doesn't matter that Camarda is not yet 18 and hasn't yet gained experience in the top flight. Lecce knows full well that, if given the right conditions, the AC Milan-trained striker can entertain his new fans and make a significant contribution to the cause. Clearly, there's no shortage of pressure, as it's well known that Camarda is destined for the top spot. He's been talked about for some time now, as he's one of the brightest young prospects in Europe, considered by many to be the great hope for the Italian national team's attack going forward.

Labels that are very difficult to bear, but Camarda's talent seems to lie in this as well. The seventeen-year-old knows how to isolate himself from external pressure, remaining focused solely on the path to establishing himself among the big clubs. Everyone expects a lot from him, and Lecce could be the ideal happy place for him to flourish, in a place accustomed to working with young players, where many talents have truly emerged before making the leap to top clubs. Recently, it was Patrick Dorgu's turn, who moved to Manchester United in January for a fee of over €30 million. Two summers ago, it was Morten Hjulmand's turn to make the leap to top-flight European football, joining Sporting Lisbon: the Dane is now the object of Juventus's desire, but to sign him, they will have to shell out more than double the fee the Portuguese club paid Lecce two years ago (around €20 million).

In short, Salento knows how to unleash the potential of young talent. Camarda, moreover, arrived at the Giallorossi on loan with an option to buy, with a counter-purchase option in favor of AC Milan. This arrangement will allow Lecce to make a substantial capital gain next year, in addition to any bonuses tied to the young striker's appearances and goals. In short, it's only the beginning, but the initial impressions of Camarda at Lecce seem to be very positive. There will certainly be no shortage of competition for the young AC Milan striker, who, pending the transfer window, is starting behind striker Nikola Krstović. It's also not out of the question that Lecce could decide to return to the market to sign a third striker. This year, in fact, the third striker will not be Rares Burnete, who is about to join Juve Stabia in Serie B. The 2004-born player will join on loan: the Giallorossi club doesn't want to lose control of the young talent, the top scorer with the Primavera team, champions of Italy in the 2022/23 season. But at the same time, they will give the player the chance to compete in a tough league.

It's therefore reasonable to imagine that Lecce could seize some transfer opportunity to bring in another center forward for Eusebio di Francesco, thus increasing the coach's roster of alternatives. The season will be long, and they will need to be fully prepared to deal with all eventualities.