They call him “the new Balotelli” and Moise Kean does have some of the same attributes as the Milan striker; unfortunately for the Juventus youngster and Azzurri Under 17 player, it’s the more unpredictable side of Super Mario’s character that he seems to have copied, such as a celebration to match that of his idol last year. In the shirt of Juve, the boy from Vercelli who originates from the Ivory Coast, has rifled in 19 goals in 21 appearances and has already been promoted into Fabio Grosso’s Primavera squad, making his debut in the Uefa Youth League.
 

Fantastic technique combined with great physicality, he’s already part of the Mino Raiola stable (just like Balotelli) and Juventus have tied him down to a three-year contract, his first as a professional, to ward off unwanted advances from the Premier League. At the Under 17 European Championships he started well, scoring in Italy’s 2-1 win over Serbia before disaster struck only this afternoon against Holland, when he was sent-off for two bookable offences; the second caution being picked up in the 90th minute for a foul on the Dutch keeper as his side lost 1-0. This now means he will miss the vital final group game against Spain, which will give him time to look back on an incredible miss when the score was tied at 0-0. The whole tournament now hangs in the balance for Italy, one moment of madness from Kean has in all intense and purposes, already ended his competition.






Steve Mitchell @barafundler