Lecce believes in Berisha, it's time for a leap in quality: the midfielder has the magic and weight of the number 10 shirt.

LECCE - There's a new number 10 in town. In the past few hours, Lecce has released the official list of shirt numbers chosen by the players for next season. One surprise was the choice of the number 10 jersey, which will be worn by midfielder Medon Berisha. It's an emblematic choice, brimming with personality from the young Albanian, born in 2003, who is looking forward to his definitive breakthrough this season. This weighty shirt number represents less of a burden than an added incentive to make his mark.

Berisha's adventure with the Giallorossi began in 2022, when the Salento club decided to invest in him as a reinforcement for their Primavera team. In the 2022/2023 season, he was a key player in Federico Coppitelli's team that won the Primavera championship: he finished the season with ten goals in 34 regular season appearances, ironically wearing the number ten jersey. Starting the following season, Berisha was a permanent member of the first team. He played little, but throughout the year he immersed himself in the atmosphere of the group coached first by Roberto D'Aversa and then by Luca Gotti. Last season, he increasingly found playing time, showing glimpses of his talent, but was severely hampered by injuries that impacted his performance. This led to the present and the decision to wear the number 10 jersey. This is an emblematic choice, also for the Lecce project, seen as a broader vision. The fact that the number 10 of the Italian champions' Primavera has now become the "10" of the first team represents the success of the club's policy of cultivating talent at home and using the youth sector as a talent pool.

Now, as always, the pitch will do the talking, with Berisha aiming to be ready to shine for Di Francesco's team right away. The 2003-born player has significant room for growth, and there are certainly several aspects of his game that still require improvement. Quality is not lacking, as are flashes of class in some plays. The goal will be to find consistency and become decisive, even finding the back of the net. Berisha, in fact, hasn't yet scored his first professional goal, and who knows, maybe against Juve Stabia in tomorrow night's Coppa Italia match, he might get the perfect opportunity to do so. In Di Francesco's 4-3-3, he plays as a midfielder, involved in both phases of play, but with the license to dangerously push into the penalty area. The coach and the club have great faith in the young Albanian's potential, and there's anticipation to see what his contribution will be this season.

Berisha will want to carve out a star role in midfield, a position where all the pieces seem to be in place at the moment. In front of the defense, the duo competing for a starting spot are Balthazar Pierret and Ylber Ramadani. The Frenchman currently appears to be at the top of the pecking order, especially since Ramadani's future is still up in the air. In recent weeks, United Arab Emirates club Al-Ain have been interested in him. Negotiations between the clubs have yet to reach a conclusion, but a relaunch in the coming days is not out of the question, with the Albanian midfielder reportedly ready to embark on a new adventure away from Europe. His departure would inevitably force a move to that position. Lassana Coulibaly, on the other hand, is essential in midfield. The man who symbolized the club's third consecutive Serie A relegation (his goal in the historic win on the final day away to Lazio) is a sure thing in midfield for Di Francesco. The Abruzzo-born coach has also had the opportunity to appreciate Mohamed Kaba during his training camp: the 2001-born Frenchman has shown significant improvement and will be able to play his part in the pecking order. Finally, there's Thorir Helgason, who had a curious trajectory last year. From being outside the squad at the start of the season under Luca Gotti to becoming almost indispensable under Marco Giampaolo. The Icelander has been confirmed again this season and seems destined to remain with the Giallorossi, unless a compelling offer arrives for him, despite his popularity, especially abroad. In that case, Lecce would return to the market for another midfielder with "box-to-box" characteristics.

Then there's the issue of departures to be resolved. Remi Oudin and Hamza Rafia are on the sidelines of the project and their fate is far from Salento. The situation is similar for Youssef Maleh, who returned from his loan spell at Empoli. Negotiations are nearing completion for him to join Cremonese, who have already signed former captain Federico Baschirotto from Lecce. At Cremonese, Maleh will reunite with Davide Nicola, who coached him two seasons ago, also at Empoli.