Lausanne picks up Italy’s mega talent!: He even puts Messi in the shade

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The Super League will soon have a mega talent richer. In fact, it has a new, most valuable player. Simone Pafundi (17) is the name of the teenager who is loaned by Serie A club Udinese to newly promoted Lausanne-Sport for twelve months. He brings with him a market value of 8 million euros and replaces FCL captain Ardon Jashari (21; 6.5 million Swiss francs) at the top of the most valuable players ranking.

Pafundi – never heard of it? Here are some important facts: There is no doubt that the 1.66 m tall football artist has a lot of talent. He made his Serie A debut in May 2022. Four months later, at 16 years and 247 days, he became Italy’s youngest debutant in more than 100 years. For comparison: Lionel Messi, with whom the Italian press has already compared Pafundi, was “already” 18 when he first played for Argentina.

But why does the tenth place in the Super League get the contract for a gem like Pafundi? And not a top class club, where they also love rough diamonds?

The reason is Lausanne’s club owner Ineos. The chemical company consciously and consistently focuses on young, talented players. He also offers the attacking midfielder attractive prospects with his network, which includes Vaudois, Nice and 25 percent of Manchester United. In other words, if Pafundi quickly finds his feet in Lausanne and develops his potential, it could land him a long-term contract with Manchester United.

Will he become the most expensive Swiss transfer?

A promise for the future like Pafundi obviously has a price. According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Lausanne has secured a purchase option of 15 million francs. An astronomical price by Swiss standards that puts everything that has come before in the shade. By comparison, FC Basel transferred around 6 million francs to Dortmund for Nati record scorer Alex Frei in 2009, the most expensive Super League purchase to date.

Will Lausanne, pardon Ineos, one day put down the 15 million? Yes, but he has to deliver. Because Pafundi’s development has stalled since his Nati debut. In the summer of 2023, after the U20 World Cup, he was eliminated due to a pubic infection. And so far this season he has played just 60 minutes for Udinese. Too few.

Does he do it like Calafiori and Gnonto?

That is why Pafundi started looking for a club after a total of eleven short appearances for Udinese. Several Serie B clubs have lined up. But he took the words of Italy coach Luciano Spalletti (64) to heart: “Young players should not sit on the bench. It is also better to gain experience abroad than in Serie B.”

In order to actually give Pafundi playing time, Udinese and Lausanne have made a special agreement: he must have played at least 50 percent of the games by the summer, otherwise the northeastern Italians have an option to bring him back.

And Pafundi? He wants to follow the path in Switzerland like other Italians who made the leap to the big stage from here. EX-FCB defender Riccardo Calafiori (21), ex-FCZ whirlwind Wilfried Gnonto (20) and ex-Sion endurance runner Federico Dimarco (26) send their regards: they are all active in the top competitions today.

Source : Blick