10 players set to give Ronaldo a run for his money in the Serie A scoring charts

Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to the Italian peninsula this summer caused hysteria across the country. The €100m transfer fee, even for a 33-year-old, was still seen as good business.

Ronaldo brings a reputation and pedigree to Serie A that harks back to an era of affluence not seen in the Italian top flight since the turn of the millennium.

The sense of nostalgia and optimism amongst fans of Italian football has also been heightened by the return of Parma, the apparent resurgence of Fiorentina and the transfer dealings of the Milan clubs which all lend to the suggestion of recovery.

There is no doubt the signing of Ronaldo has changed the perception of Italian football and challenges the idea that it is in a state of steady decline but the forward also brings a more functional advantage to Juventus. He can score, create and be the best player in the league making Juve even more fearsome on the pitch.

Ronaldo is yet to open his goalscoring account this season but it is surely just a matter of time before the Portuguese star finds the net on a regular basis again.

With that in mind here are 10 players Squawka thinks will give Cristiano Ronaldo a run for his money in the Serie A capocannoniere stakes this season.

1. Paulo Dybala

Club: Juventus

Serie A goals last season: 22 in 33 appearances

The Argentine star made his made in Scilly with Palermo and has continued to improve each year since joining Juventus in 2015. Last season saw his best goals return since moving north to Turin and his best ever goals tally in the Italian top flight.

His ability to run at the defence and beat his man means he will always create chances for himself and his off-the-ball positioning is second to none.

With Ronaldo taking the limelight away from the Argentine it could easily be another career-best year for a player who is yet to reach his ceiling.

Key stat: No Juventus striker has completed more dribbles per 90 (2.7) than Paulo Dybala this season.

2. Giovanni Simeone

Club: Fiorentina

Seria A goals last season: 14 in 38 appearances

Giovanni Simeone may come from a footballing family but the 23-year-old has already carved out an impressive career for himself following his move to Tuscany in 2017.

Some might have been surprised to see the player move to Florence after showing huge potential in Genoa with the Rossoblu but it is a move that has helped the player continue his steady progress.

Many Viola fans thought they would see the player leave this summer but the fact he chose to stay and continue his development is telling about how the club is viewed by those who play there.

Always a nuisance with his pace, Simeone’s ability to pick a pass and finish off chances will make him one to watch in the goalscoring stakes this season.

Key stat: No player in the Fiorentina squad has drawn more fouls per game (2) than Giovanni Simeone.

3. Krzysztof Piatek

Club: Genoa

Goals last season: 21 in 36 appearances in the Polish Ekstraklasa

After ripping up the Polish top flight last season Genoa decided to take a gamble of the striker, signing him from Cracovia for €4 million.

It is already looking like the bargain of the century as the player has scored three goals in his first two games for the club. He bagged a brace in the defeat to Sassuolo and one in the opening game against Empoli which has put the 23-year-old joint top of the scoring charts early on.

Key stat: No player to have started a game in Serie A has a better goals to minute ratio than Piatek this season (one every 60 minutes).

4. Arkadiusz Milik

Club: Napoli

Seria A goals last season: 5 in 15 appearances

Napoli will be looking to continue where they left off last season following an excellent final campaign for Maurizio Sarri.

Carlo Ancelotti has decided not to use Dries Mertens from the start so far this season and therefore the responsibility for scoring goals may fall to Polish international Arkadiusz Milik.

He has already found the net this season but will need to improve on last season’s return if he is to realistically aim for a capocannoniere challenge.

Key stat: No Napoli forward has won more aerial duals per 90 minutes (1.3) than Arkadiusz Milik this season.

5. Mauro Icardi

Club: Inter Milan

Serie A goals last season: 29 in 34 appearances

Mauro Icardi is a goalscoring machine, linked to clubs like Chelsea over the summer the Argentine remains at the San Siro for 2018-19 and will almost certainly be one of the top scorers in Serie A again this season.

Since joining Inter, Icardi has scored 100 Serie A goals in just 160 appearances and will be hoping to take that goalscoring form into the Champions League this season.

Another great season predicted to the Inter striker.

Key stat: Mauro Icardi scored 29 goals in the 2017/18 Serie A season; the most by an Inter Milan player in a single campaign since Antonio Angelillo (33) in 1958/59.

6. Gonzalo Higuain

Club: AC Milan

Serie A goals last season: 16 in 35 appearances

There is no doubt AC Milan will be basing their Champions League hopes on Gonzalo Higuain.

The Argentine forward has been prolific in every Serie A season since arriving on the peninsula from Real Madrid in 2013. In fact he has bagged 111 top flight goals in 177 appearance in Serie A since heading to Italy.

A lot will depend on how well Milan can adapt and improve this season but you would be unwise to bet against the goal king that is Higuain.

Key stat: Gonzalo Higuain has averaged 3.5 shots per 90 minutes in Serie A this season.

7. Ciro Immobile

Club: Lazio

Serie A goals last season: 29 goals in 33 games

Ciro Immobile had an unbelievable season with Lazio which deserved to end in Champions League football however a final day defeat at home to Inter Milan was the Nerazzurri nick in ahead to them instead.

He will need to be at his best again this season as Lazio face some tough competition in the race for a top four finish.

The 28-year-old bagged his first goal this season in the opening day defeat to Napoli and will be looking to try and emulate last season’s tally.

Key stat: Only Luis Alberto has had more shots per game than Ciro Immobile (2.7) this season in Serie A for Lazio.

8. Andrea Belotti

Club: Torino

Serie A goals last season: 10 in 32 appearances

Andrea Belotti staying at Torino was a big deal for the club. The 24-year-old is the club’s key striker and looks to also be an important player for the future of the Italian national side.

He made his name in Scilly with Palermo and was soon on the radar of a number of top clubs. He chose to join Torino where first team opportunities were more prevalent and he hasn’t looked back since.

Compared to Gianluca Vialli for his athleticism but also good in the air, Belotti will need to get good service from his teammates if he is to improve on last season’s tally of 10 but he easily leads his side in shots per game (3.3) which will help.

Key stat: No Torino player has won more aerial duels (14) than Andrea Belotti this season.

9. Alejandro Gomez

Club: Atalanta

Serie A goals last season: 6 in 33 appearances

Atalanta have been superb over the last couple of seasons and the Bergamo side will be hoping they can continue with another solid campaign in 2018-19.

In Gomez they have a striker with an eye for goal and the Argentine has started the season well grabbing two goals and two assists in his opening two games.

It will be a tough job to keep up that impressive ratio but he will almost certainly improve on last season’s tally of six.

Key stat: Gomez’s ratio of one goal every 67 minutes is better than any other Atalanta player

10. Edin Dzeko

Club: AS Roma

Serie A goals last season: 16 in 36 appearances

Roma’s Bosnian star has been one of their key players since he joined from Manchester City in 2015.

Good in the air, winning more aerial duels per game (17) than any Roma player this season and with great positional sense the big forward has netted 54 time in just 107 Serie A appearances for the Giallorossi.

With creative talents such as Justin Kluivert and Javier Pastore already added to a side that contained Cengiz Under, it could be another fruitful campaign for the Roma striker who grabbed the winner in the opening day victory over Torino.

Key Stat: No Roma player has had more shots per 90 (5.7) than Edin Dzeko this season.

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