Keep an eye on Francesco Pio Esposito, Inter`s promising new forward. He recently made headlines by scoring the crucial opening goal in Inter`s 2-0 victory over River Plate, securing their spot in the FIFA Club World Cup round of 16. Esposito is a product of Inter`s own academy, joining at age eight and staying until 2023. During his youth development, he even worked under current Inter coach Cristian Chivu. He spent the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons on loan at Spezia, where he truly demonstrated his potential, netting 22 goals in 79 appearances over two years. His impressive performance at Spezia kept him on Inter`s radar, who saw him as a future star.
Born in 2005, Pio Esposito is approaching his 20th birthday. His recent goal against River Plate, scored in one of his first appearances for his boyhood club, suggests his future might arrive sooner than expected.
Francesco is the youngest of three brothers, all of whom passed through Inter`s youth system. His brother Sebastiano, who featured for Inter between 2019 and 2020 under Antonio Conte and also participated in the current Club World Cup, is reportedly set to leave Inter in the summer of 2025. Another brother, Salvatore, is currently at Spezia. Pio`s immediate future, however, remains less clear. Following his loan return from Spezia, there were whispers of another loan move to a Serie A club for the 2025-26 season to gain consistent playing time. Yet, his impactful goal against River Plate could significantly alter his short-term prospects at Inter.
Given that Cristian Chivu, a 2010 Champions League winner, has taken over as Inter`s coach, replacing Simone Inzaghi, Pio Esposito might find a place in the current squad. This possibility exists even though Inter is expected to sign at least one more striker to compensate for the exits of Joaquin Correa and Marko Arnautovic, and with Mehdi Taremi`s future still uncertain.
The primary striking duo for Inter remains captain Lautaro Martinez and French forward Marcus Thuram. Parma`s forward Ange-Yoan Bonny is also rumored to be joining Inter as a potential backup option, potentially alongside Taremi if he stays. In recent seasons, Inter has sometimes struggled for depth when their main strikers were unavailable. Pio Esposito could potentially emerge as an unanticipated solution to this problem.
The spotlight is now on him, and his ability to consistently perform at a high level, as he did flawlessly against River Plate, will be crucial. He garnered significant praise not just for his skillfully taken goal, which highlighted his talent, but also for his intelligent ball retention and tireless work rate for the team throughout the match, until his brother Sebastiano came on for him in the 83rd minute. Esposito has proven his capabilities before at Spezia, but the key question was whether he could translate that success to Inter. So far, he has. Inter`s management and Coach Chivu face a challenging decision regarding his development: should he be loaned out again to gain further experience, or is he already prepared for the pressure and demands of playing at the top level for Inter? Based on his initial performances, Esposito appears ready to remain with the team.
