Who is Francesco Pio Esposito? Inter Milan’s 20-year-old prodigy setting Serie A alight
The young Italian is already proving to be a top talent.
Francesco Pio Esposito is quickly emerging as one of the brightest young strikers in Italian football.
Still only 20 years old, the Inter Milan forward has wasted no time in building a reputation as a physically dominant, technically gifted and tactically intelligent attacker.
After impressing on loan at Spezia, where he became a key figure in their Serie B promotion push last season, Esposito has now started making his mark back at his boyhood club.
With goals at the Club World Cup and standout performances in the Champions League in the last few months, many are asking the same question: Who is Francesco Pio Esposito, and how far can his potential take him?
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Family of Footballers
Football talent runs deep in the Esposito family. Francesco Pio is the youngest of three brothers, all of whom came through Inter’s system.
Sebastiano Esposito featured for Inter under Antonio Conte before later moving to Cagliari. Salvatore Esposito plays as a midfielder for Spezia, while Francesco Pio Esposito is the youngest and now the family’s brightest prospect.
The trio have taken different paths, but Pio is tipped to become the most successful, and he certainly has the opportunity by playing for a giant like Inter Milan.
Inter Academy Roots
Esposito’s journey began with Inter Milan’s youth academy, which he joined at the age of eight. The Nerazzurri quickly identified his natural athleticism and goal-scoring instincts and worked hard on his progression.
Coming through Inter’s youth ranks, Esposito worked under Cristian Chivu, a former club defender who has since become the head coach.
This early connection would prove vital later in his career, as Chivu has played a key role in integrating the striker into the senior setup, which is already paying off.
Loan Spells at Spezia
In 2023, Esposito was sent on loan to Spezia to gain some much-needed experience in senior football.
Over two seasons in Serie B, he scored 22 goals in 79 games, establishing himself as one of the division’s most prolific and dangerous performers.
During the 2024-25 season, he hit particularly impressive form, netting 15 goals in just 31 appearances. His ability to dominate defenders with his strength, combined with his sharp finishing instincts, made him a nightmare to deal with, something Carlo Garganese and Nima Tavallaey Roodsari from The Italian Football Podcast also suggested: “One thing that I think is so interesting with him is that he doesn’t give up many offensive fouls, but he draws many fouls.
“He forces players to drag him down. He creates space for himself and others. He is a lethal finisher. He’s a classic Italian Prima Punta, but just very, very dynamic.
“As to his potential, the sky’s the limit given the trajectory he’s on.”
Esposito himself reflected on his growth during that time, admitting he developed a lot during his time in the second division.
He added: “I’m young, but I don’t consider myself a rookie. I’ve already had a full season behind me, and every day I play with the goal of returning to the top flight with Spezia.”
A Complete Modern Striker
Standing at 6ft 3in, Esposito combines his physical presence with technical finesse. His playing style blends the traits of a classic target man with the mobility and creativity of a modern forward.
His height and timing make him a constant threat from crosses and set pieces, and he is comfortable scoring from range, inside the box, or with his head.
Esposito also uses his body well to shield the ball, link play, and bring team-mates into attacks. If that wasn’t enough, the Italian makes plenty of intelligent runs in behind and into pockets of space to stretch defences and also has the ability to deliver clever passes and crosses.
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti summed him up best: “He’s a natural footballer with an eye for goal. He’s physically imposing and has a promising future.”
His versatility was also recently on display in Inter’s Champions League victory over Ajax, where he played slightly deeper, linking play like a No.10 behind Marcus Thuram.
He created three chances, recorded 46 touches, and certainly showed maturity well beyond his years.
Making His Mark at Inter
Returning to Inter in 2025, Esposito wasted no time making an impact. He scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win over River Plate at the Club World Cup.
As we have already mentioned, he started in the Champions League against Ajax, impressing once again despite not getting on the scoresheet.
Chivu appears to have great trust in the youngster, handing him minutes in crucial fixtures.
This is not surprising to The Italian Football Podcast, which identified Esposito’s talent a long time ago.
They added: “Power, strength, killer instinct, dynamism, hold up and link up. He’s a complete striker in terms of his character, in terms of the characteristics he possesses.
“Now he just has to do it week in, week out and be able to mentally handle being benched as he inevitably will be at Inter given the fierce competition that you need to have in attack.
“But his mentality and maturity have so far been very, very impressive. And if he continues down his path and if he can stay injury free, then in the not-so-distant future, it is highly likely, if he continues like this, that we are talking about the next starter not just for Italy but also for Inter.”
Transfer Interest
Esposito’s rise has not gone unnoticed. Inter tied him down to a contract until 2030, with his salary boosted beyond €1million a season. This came amid interest from several top clubs, including Manchester United, Napoli, Bologna, Torino, and Leicester.
The key question now is whether Esposito should stay at Inter as a backup to Lautaro Martinez and Thuram or continue his development with another loan move.
His performances in Europe and in Serie B suggest he is ready for the top flight – the only debate is whether he will grow faster by learning within Inter’s competitive squad or by playing regular minutes elsewhere.
On the international stage, Esposito has been just as prolific. He has already bagged seven goals and three assists in 11 caps for Italy Under-21s.
He recently made his debut for the senior Italian national team under Gennaro Gattuso in a friendly against Estonia, further proof that he is firmly on the radar of the Azzurri setup.
The Future of Inter and Italy?
Francesco Pio Esposito has everything required to become one of Europe’s leading strikers. At just 20 years old, he has already shown he can perform at club and international level, handling pressure on the biggest stages.
You cannot recieve many bigger compliments than being compared to Harry Kane – one of Europe’s elite goalscorers – but Esposito has been handed that honour.
The Italian Football Podcast added: “He reminds me of a very young Harry Kane. Harry Kane before he exploded, Harry Kane when he was just starting with Tottenham.
“He went on a few loan spells and I like just his build as well. He’s a similar kind of height but the way that he’s comfortable, coming deep for the ball, protecting it, playing up, bringing others in.
“But you can see that he’s got that killer instinct and you can see that he can shoot with both feet as well.”
Whether he cements his place at Inter Milan immediately or continues his growth elsewhere, the path ahead looks incredibly bright for the young forward.
Italian football is crying out for a new talisman in attack – and Esposito may just be the answer.
Our friends at the Italian Football Podcast have had their say. Watch the embedded link above and then listen to the full version wherever you get your podcasts.