The Time is Now for Lorenzo Lucca
On the cusp of realizing his full potential, the 6'7" striker has found stability at Udinese and is on the way to his most prolific professional season yet.
“Lorenzo Lucca, remember his name,” was the final line of a TuttoMercatoWeb (TMW) article published in September 2021, hailing the then-Pisa striker as “the new phenomenon that puts Italy at his feet.”
Three years on from those lofty claims, not many outside of Italy know who Lorenzo Lucca is. But that’s poised to change, as the Piemontese forward has found stability at Udinese and is already on the way to his most prolific professional season in 2024-25.
Lucca’s four goals across the first nine Serie A matches and two in two Coppa Italia outings have helped propel the Friulani to seventh in the league, just a point behind Juventus and two off Inter, and comfortably into the last 16 of the cup.
These impressive returns are already two-thirds of the nine goals he scored in all competitions last term, which marked a new career high (outside of Serie C) in his first season at the Bluenergy Stadium.
Lucca has gelled well with new manager Kosta Runjaic’s direct and cross-happy approach and once again been linked with a big club. His form was recognized by a debut cap for Italy this month, albeit in the final minutes of an easy victory.
All of these signs point to a true breakout campaign, yet doubters can easily say we’ve been here before with this player. But, scoring at San Siro and sitting tied for fifth in goals in Serie A are a far cry from banging them in for Pisa. This year will be different for the big man.
Lorenzo Lucca really is a big man. His height alone oozes potential, standing at 6’7” (201cm), and he first caught attention with a strong 2020-21 season at Palermo in Serie C.
This prompted his move to Pisa, where six goals in the opening seven Serie B games led to TMW’s high praise. And then he just stopped scoring. Lucca finished the year with six goals in 30 appearances, but the dip in form didn’t deter Ajax as the Dutch giants took him on loan for the 2022-23 campaign.
It was a big move for Lucca and another example of a promising Italian youngster heading abroad for consistent, top-flight minutes. Except in his case, it took a return home to finally settle.
Injuries and just a pair of goals in 14 Eredivisie appearances, including a spell with Jong Ajax in the second division, saw Lucca sent back to Pisa ahead of last season and subsequently loaned to Udinese.
His nine goals and overall development in 2023-24 were enough to convince the Friulani to shell out nearly €9 million for a permanent move. That fee will seem like a bargain next summer if Lucca’s form sustains and inevitably leads to substantial profit.
In the meantime, keep tabs on the two-meter-tall man leading the line for Udinese. He looks ready to take the long-awaited jump in production and join current capocannoniere Mateo Retegui as the future of Italy’s attack.
Lucca’s efficiency jumps out despite the small sample size this season. Six of his seven shots on target have found the back of the net, one of those being the penalty he powerfully converted in the second round of the cup against Salernitana.
He doesn’t need a lot of touches to make an impact, nor would anyone expect a player of his size to carry the ball much. Lucca is better with his feet than expected, though, evidenced by his composure when fending off a sliding challenge in transition before his goal at Inter:
Three of his goals have come via booming headers and that’s, naturally, his specialty when towering over opposing defenders. It’s not just brute force from Lucca as his headed shots are equally precise and powerful, coupled with his knack for anticipating crosses.
This is especially true when the provider is the revitalized Florian Thauvin, who has assisted two of Lucca’s goals this season and offers consistent and quality service, something the striker lacked last season.
Even with Thauvin missing the month of October through injury (fortunately slated to return in the next few weeks), the rapidly developing wing backs Jordan Zemura and Hassane Kamara have maintained quality out wide. Kamara swerved in this inch-perfect delivery to assist Lucca’s most recent tally against Cagliari:
Simply put, if wide players can accurately place high crosses, Lucca will often turn them into big chances. Even when doubled in the area, his natural physicality and positional understanding allow him to easily split two markers.
On the other hand, the big man’s gravity in the box can create openings for teammates. In Udinese’s season-opening 1-1 draw with Bologna, Lucca wasn’t a huge factor in the game but his presence pulled a pair of defenders into his orbit and created space for Lautaro Gianetti’s headed equalizer.
Lucca isn’t a target-man-or-bust in the mold of, say, Milan Djuric, although he could certainly learn from Djuric’s deft flick-on ability and hold-up play. Improvement has been seen in Lucca’s first touch this season and he’s good with his back to goal, but can realistically aspire to be the division’s best in that regard.
His ability in the air is not, of course, confined to the final third. Lucca was third amongst forwards in percentage of aerial duels won (50.5%, behind only Djuric and Duvan Zapata) and joint-second amongst forwards in clearances (36) in 2023-24.
The striker doesn’t shy away from defensive responsibilities and is particularly useful when defending corners, which are where most of his clearances come from. Udinese haven’t conceded a header this season, thanks in large part to a burly back three and brave keeper Maduka Okoye, with Lucca doing his part on set pieces.
The desire and qualities are there for Lucca to become an elite target man with the all-around ability to play in a variety of systems. The potential for him to become a mainstay in the Italian national team is there too and has long been a goal of his.
This month’s six-minute debut, coming at Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, was a big step and Lucca’s new manager is pushing him to become a permanent part of Italy boss Luciano Spalletti’s plans.
“We're pleased with Lucca’s Italy debut, especially at his home stadium. It was a great experience for him,” Runjaic said. “The national team has a lot of quality and now it’s up to him to stay there by working hard. We want him to become a regular member of the national squad.”
Still just 24 years old, an already winding career path has found some footing. Last season saw consistent availability as Lucca settled in as a starter in Serie A. Now, the goals are flowing early and a breakthrough into double figures in the top flight beckons.
Links to a top club have come via Juventus, and the Turin native could thrive alongside the playmakers available to the Bianconeri. Udinese are reported to prefer to keep him until the end of the season to maximize profit on the forward, despite Juve needing a backup striker in the winter window.
Lucca has yet to spend two consecutive seasons at one club and finishing the 2024-25 campaign in Udine would certainly bolster his development. He’s already reaping the benefits of Runjaic’s appointment and hitting 15 goals in the league is in play.
The big move will then come and Lucca will be ready. At least as ready as he’s been in his young career. Italy might not be “at his feet” but it doesn’t need to be for him to fulfill his potential and really make the football world remember his name.