Perhaps Roberto Mancini said it best when discussing Domenico Berardi’s lengthy route to the top earlier this year.
“Berardi, with the ability he has, should already be a star,” the Italy boss told Gazzetta dello Sport recently. “But he is young, he is 25 years old, he can still grow a lot.”
It is almost seven years now since the Sassuolo forward announced himself to the world in stunning style; a little-known teenager scribing his name in Serie A history by scoring all four goals in a 4-3 triumph over AC Milan.
A year later, Berardi became the youngest player since 1958 to hit 30 goals in Italy’s top flight. He did so in just 59 games; 11 fewer than Lionel Messi needed to hit that same landmark at Barcelona.
But it is only now, after so many injuries and even more false dawns, that Berardi is finally starting to produce moments of match-winning brilliance week in, week out.
With seven goals and assists in eight Serie A matches, Berardi has formed a formidable partnership with Francesco Caputo and ex-Chelsea winger Jeremie Boga at a Sassuolo side that has taken Italian football by storm this term.
Roberto Di Zerbi’s uber-attacking side are third in the table after eight games.
Arsenal were linked via Calciomercato earlier this year, with Mikel Arteta crying out for a forward capable of scoring and creating in equal measure, don’t be surprised if the Gunners revisit the Berardi trail in January.
But, as his agent told Alfredo Pedulla, Berardi will not come cheap.
“When you make your Serie A debut at 18, score four goals against Milan and get your face on the front pages, it’s natural there’s a lot of interest,” he said.
“If the moment (to leave) arrives in future, it will always be in total agreement with Sassuolo. His transfer value is still at least £50 million, because Sassuolo know how to make the most of the talents they help to nurture, achieving extraordinary results.”
And, nine months after suggesting that Berardi’s talents were going to waste, Roberto Mancini will be thrilled to see that his warning did not go unnoticed.
Berardi has featured in four of Italy’s games since then, scoring three times along the way, to all-but secure a seat on the plane ahead of Euro 2021.
He burst on to the biggest of stages seven years ago. Now, he looks finally set to stay there.
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