Artem Dovbyk

Artem Dovbyk's path to becoming one of Europe's most feared strikers is not a straight line — it is a story of resilience and late flowering. Born in Cherkasy, Ukraine in 1997, he became his club's youngest ever scorer at 17, but spent years developing in Ukraine and Denmark before his moment came. The 2023-24 season at Girona in La Liga was the transformation: 24 goals, a Pichichi Trophy as Spain's top scorer, and European Golden Boot winner. Roma paid €38 million for him that summer.

At 1.89m, Dovbyk is a traditional centre-forward with a modern game — powerful in the air and on the ground, clinical in front of goal, and excellent at holding the ball up and bringing teammates into play. He is the focal point of Roma's attack: everything goes through him, and he thrives on service.

His most memorable international moment came at Euro 2020, when he scored the winning goal against Sweden deep into extra time to send Ukraine to the quarter-finals. That goal, in front of a packed stadium, announced him to a wider audience. For Roma, he is the number nine they had been searching for.