Sporting: Mancini's Scouting Mission Pays Off

Roberto Mancini made a trip to Alvalade to personally scout Issa Doumbia, with an eye on calling up the Sporting midfielder for Italy's upcoming Nations League fixtures.

According to Italian media, Mancini was impressed with what he saw and has reportedly decided to include Doumbia in the next squad. The Sporting midfielder's profile perfectly aligns with the Italian national team's needs: an imposing physique, strong tackling ability, international experience, and crucially, significant playing time at a top European club.

A call-up to the senior squad appears to be a natural progression in Doumbia's career, fueled by an excellent season at Venezia and his subsequent transfer to Sporting, where he is a regular starter. His meteoric rise, which includes a dominant season in Serie B and a stint in Serie A, coupled with attributes that are scarce in the Italian midfield, has firmly placed him on Mancini's radar. The coach is known for his willingness to blood young talent.

As a child, the youngster from Treviglio was nicknamed 'Petit,' idolized Paul Pogba, and even sported a Mohawk haircut similar to Balotelli's. Over time, he evolved into a midfielder with unique characteristics, dominating the second tier of Italian football before making his move to Alvalade.

Under Rui Borges, he seamlessly integrated into the team. Wearing the number 77, Doumbia has accumulated 491 minutes across six matches (five in the league and one in the Champions League), starting every game, and has already registered an assist.