Young Striker Hoping To Become Rare Success Story From Inter Milan Academy

Striker Francesco Pio Esposito is hoping to become a rare thing – a major success story from Inter Milan’s youth academy.

This according to to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera, via FCInterNews.

Francesco Pio Esposito will become part of Inter Milan’s senior squad next season.

Having joined the Nerazzurri youth academy at the age of thirteen, Pio Esposito starred at several youth team levels. Then, he spent the last two seasons on loan with Spezia.

And it was last campaign that the young striker really broke through. He managed to score nineteen goals for Spezia, nearly firing the Ligurians to promotion from Serie B.

Therefore, it was little surprise that virtually every club in Serie A was interested in signing Pio Esposito this summer.

Naturally, Inter considered loaning Pio Esposito out. A stint with a team in the top flight would ensure regular playing time and the opportunity for the 20-year-old to develop.

But in the end, that is not the route that Inter took.

Francesco Pio Esposito Hoping To Become Rare Inter Youth Academy Success Story

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 24: Francesco Pio Esposito of FC Internazionale faces the media during the Training/Press Conference ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 match between FC Internazionale Milano and CA River Plate at Virginia Mason Athletic Center on June 24, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

The Nerazzurri will give Pio Esposito a place in their senior team next season.

This follows the impressive exploits that the 20-year-old showed at the Club World Cup. That proved to be a kind of trial run for him in an Inter shirt.

As the Corriere della Sera note, Pio Esposito is hardly going to be a first-choice starter for Inter.

However, the Italy Under-21 international will certainly get his chances to play.

And furthermore, the fact that Pio Esposito does not use up a slot in Inter’s Champions League squad due to coming through the youth academy can be very useful.

And the 20-year-old has the chance to really make his mark on the senior team in a way that almost no youth academy graduates have in recent years.

Federico Dimarco, of course, has been a major success story. However, he needed to find his feet in a number of loan spells first.

Meanwhile, the closest precedent for Pio Esposito as a striker would probably be Mario Balotelli.