The current "capocannoniere" is Victor Osimhen with sixteen goals scored at the tip of Napoli, the implacable leader.
The Nigerian is ahead of his compatriot Ademola Lookman, the revelation of Atalanta Bergamo, and the Argentinian striker of Inter Milan Lautaro Martinez, 12 goals each.
Ciro Immobile, last season's top scorer seeking a fifth crown to equal Swede Gunnar Nordahl's record in the 1950s with AC Milan, is just 11th with seven goals.
The captain of Lazio Rome, top scorer in activity in Serie A (189 goals), is not even, a rarity, the first Italian.
The 32-year-old striker is overtaken by his teammate Matteo Zaccagni, author of eight goals although he plays on the left wing and not at the top.
Napoli's Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen (C) celebrates a Serie A goal at La Spezia on February 5, 2023 © Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP/Archives
The latter can thus hope to honor a second selection soon, why not next month during qualifying for Euro-2024, a year after his international debut in March 2022: "La Nazionale has always been a goal, but I am focusing on Lazio, the rest will be a consequence," the 27-year-old winger told Lazio Style radio on Monday.
Kean caps
Serie A is the only championship, among the five main ones in Europe, where national scorers are so discreet.
They are ten in the Top 20 in England, France and Spain, half a dozen in Germany.
Lazio midfielder Mattia Zaccagni (C) celebrates a Serie A goal against AC Milan on January 24, 2023 in Rome © Andreas SOLARO / AFP/Archives
If another Italian, Vincenzo Grifo, shines in the Bundesliga (9 goals with Freiburg), the picture remains gloomy for Roberto Mancini, who has been waiting for several seasons for the advent of a real goalscorer beyond a Immobile not so effective in selection than in club.
Andrea Belotti is no longer an option: he waxes the bench at Roma and is still waiting for a first goal in Serie A this season.
Moise Kean caps at four goals with Juventus, despite repeated compliments from his coach Massimiliano Allegri who assures that the 22-year-old striker has "evolved a lot and has become an important player".
The other young people playing in Italy are slow to hatch.
Giacomo Raspadori (22, 1 goal) struggles to find playing time in Naples in the shadow of Osimhen.
Andrea Pinamonti (23 years old, 3 goals with Sassuolo) or Lorenzo Colombo (20 years old, 4 with Lecce) have yet to assert themselves.
Italian international Vincenzo Grifo after scoring a goal against Union Berlin, in the German league, on November 13, 2022 in Freiburg © Thomas KIENZLE / AFP/Archives
Romanian idea?
Abroad, the Italian attackers do not panic more counters.
European champions Lorenzo Insigne (6 goals in 11 games) and Federico Bernardeschi (8 in 13 games) certainly scored in the fall on their MLS debut with Toronto.
But their exile leaves them little chance of finding the Nazionale quickly.
Ditto for Mario Balotelli (5 goals with FC Sion in Switzerland), despite Mancini's affection for him.
Gianluca Scamacca, 24, or Wilfried Gnonto, 19, represent more of the future of the Nazionale.
But they too have yet to prove themselves in the demanding Premier League: the former scored three times with West Ham;
the second has just opened his counter with Leeds against West Ham at the beginning of January then against Manchester United on Wednesday evening.
"Young people must first play, in Italy or abroad", admitted Roberto Mancini in January, echoing criticism of the lack of space left to young Italians in Serie A, which reappeared after the new failure of the Squadra in the qualification campaign for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
West Ham's Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca during a Premier League match against Brentford on December 30, 2022 in London © Ben Stansall / AFP/Archives
"In the past, we sometimes lacked defenders or midfielders... We try to find," promised the coach.
Ultimo Uomo, an online magazine, gave him an idea: to summon Andrea Compagno, an Italian striker who left for a career in Romania in 2020 because he failed to break through to the top level in Italy.
Now at Steaua Bucharest, the athletic 26-year-old center forward is the second top scorer in his league with 14 goals.
Which makes him the most prolific Italian this season.
© 2023 AFP