Venezia’s Issa Doumbia: Italian football’s next big thing

Venezia’s Issa Doumbia: Italian football’s next big thing

Serie A and Italian football has never had a shortage of quality midfielders, even if the nation’s footballing structure has been struggling. Venezia’s Issa Doumbia could be the next in line to make a mark in Calcio.

If anything, the youngster is already doing that in Venice. He has played a key role in bringing Giovanni Stroppa’s side back to Serie A and his goal contributions have proved key in the last few weeks. He came up with eight goals in the Italian second division but six of those have come in 2026. Four of those have come after March, with the most recent coming against Palermo some days ago.

It is no coincidence that Doumbia looks up to Paul Pogba.

He has previously said: “My father instilled in me the idea of ​​football as a reference, but I take inspiration from Pogba. Physical strength and running are my strengths, and if I had to choose an ideal role, I’d say right midfielder in a three-man midfield.”

The Italian does resemble the ex-Manchester United and Juventus star. This has allowed Stroppa to use him in a more attack-minded role, bringing him closer to goal than he was in the first half of the season. Doumbia’s physical abilities and technical qualities have helped him adapt, with his stature clearly rising.

His is a story of a talent who has come through the Italian football structure too. He played for Albinoleffe’s first team in Serie C, leading to Venezia landing him in 2024. They also gave him minutes in Serie A but the low-key environment of the second division has only helped him grow, with Doumbia also having played multiple times for the Italy U21s side.

Clubs lining up

Considering his rise, clubs are already keeping an eye on Doumbia. Calciomercato believe , and Roma are interested but major interest has also arrived from Benfica, who can also make an approach for the Venezia star. English clubs are also keen, with Southampton and even Celtic monitoring him for weeks now.