How how did it get to this? The undeniable fact is it is unfair to label a player a failure simply because they didn't shine when expected to. Footballers are human beings hence their form is affected by numerous things like culture, weather, language, trust or love to say the least. Having joined Juventus aged 16 for €80,000 in 2007, Immobile was classified not good enough to play for his childhood club despite being born in Naples. Afforded no game time and playing just three Seria A games, the striker played on loan for the likes of Sienna, Grosseto and Pescara where his talents were starting to be recognised having scored 28 Seria B goals (Seria B top scorer) as Pescara won promotion to Seria A where he played alongside Insigne and Marco Verratti.
As if that was not enough the striker once again did it in a big way by scoring 22 goals in 33 league games for Torino in his sole season (2013-2014) winning the Copacannoniere (Seria A top scorer; first Torino player to win the award since Francesco Graziani in the 1976-1977 season) which earned him a €18m move to Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund in 2014 where his career stalled as he failed to adapt to a new culture, language and tactics, failing to dislodge Emerick Pierre Aubameyang as the top dog as well as playing only 24 league games and scoring only three. It could only get worse for him as he flopped once again in Sevilla under Unai Emery with Kelvin Gameiro this time keeping him out of the team (made only eight appearances scoring thrice in six months).
Realising he was in in danger of going down the drain as an unfulfilled talent, the Italian settled in Lazio after a single season on loan in former club Torino. Signed for a paltry €8.5m last summer , the striker has shown that on-field performances are sometimes not a true reflection of a player's quality. While he might have been sublime last season scoring 23 goals in 36 league games (Dzeko 29 goals and highest goalscorer) as Lazio qualified for the Europa League, the striker has started where he left out scoring 13 goals in 10 league games as well as 17 in 14 games across all competitions. With the likes of Luiz Alberto, Milinkovic-Savic and Anderson all playing in the front row with him, Immobile has become world class showing exactly that he thrives under a manager that trusts and gives him the patience he needs to deliver. Coach Simone Inzaghi is already doing wonders this season having beaten the likes of Juventus and Milan as they sit 4th in the table three points behind league leaders Napoli.
With more than 28 more games to go, this write-up might appear misleading or premature yet there is no denying the fact that Ciro Immobile is in his prime and at the same time presently the hottest attacker in Europe.
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